Western 
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WESTERN  WANDERINGS  AND 
SUMMER  SAUNTERINGS  THROUGH 
PICTURESQUE  COLORADO  +  j* 


BY 

EMMA(  ABBOTT  1GAGE 


ILLUSTRATED  WITH 
28  PLATES 


1900 
#*  JSorb  (^affttnorc  (pre 

THE   FRIEDENWALD  COMPANY 
BALTIMORE,  MD.     U.  S.  A. 


COPYRIGHT,  1900 

BY 
EMMA  ABBOTT  GAGE 


AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED 

TO 

MY  FATHER 

WILLIAM  MARTIN  ABBOTT 

EDITOR  OF  THE  "EVENING  CAPITAL" 

ANNAPOLIS,  MARYLAND 

IN   WHICH    PAPER 
THESE    LETTERS    WERE   ORIGINALLY    PUBLISHED 


APOLOGETIC. 


One  day,  last  September,  while  making  a  three- 
days'  trip  over  the  picturesque  Denver  and  Rio 
Grande  Railroad,  from  Denver  to  Grand  Junction, 
I  casually  mentioned  to  a  fellow-traveler  that  I  had 
been  writing  letters,  descriptive  of  my  western  trip, 
to  an  eastern  newspaper.  He  made  the  semi-sar- 
castic rejoinder,  "  Then  I  suppose  you  are  going  to 
write  a  book,"  and  quoted  the  oft-heard  expression 
"  Oh !  that  mine  enemy  would  write  a  book."  I 
said,  "  No,  I  had  no  thought  nor  intention  of  ever 
inflicting  such  a  burden  upon  my  adversary  or  my 
friend; "  and  at  that  time  I  had  not. 

After  4<  Western  Wanderings "  of  four  months, 
I  returned  to  my  home  in  the  East,  and  found  that 
my  letters  had  met  with  popular  favor.  This  vol- 
ume is  a  compilation  of  those  letters,  and  is  print- 
ed only  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  over-kind 
friends,  who  assured  me  the  letters  received  much 
commendation,  and  that  their  compilation  in  book- 
form  would  be  very  acceptable. 


4  APOLOGETIC. 

Apologetically,  however,  I  trust  I  am  not  with- 
out modesty  becoming  a  country-school  teacher, 
and  one  who  is  a  novice  in  literary  work.  I,  there- 
fore, offer  this  word  of  explanation  at  the  outset  as 
to  how  this  volume  came  into  existence,  and  trust 
it  may  afford  at  least  a  portion  of  the  pleasure  to 
the  reader,  that  it  has  given  me  to  write  it.  I 
should  not  care  to  have  written  on  its  fly-leaf  those 
lines  the  young  lady  wrote  on  a  ponderous  religi- 
ous treatise  loaned  to  her  by  a  good  old  gentleman, 
who  read  there  on  its  return : 

"  If  there  should  be  another  flood, 

For  refuge  hither  fly  ; 

Though  all  the  world  should  be  submerged, 
This  book  would  still  be  dry." 

If  my  enemy  be  delighted  that  I  have  written  a 
book,  I  trust  he  may  induce  my  friends  to  share 
with  him  the  same  convivial  spirit. 

E.  A.  G. 

Annapolis,  Feb.  igth,  igoo. 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 


The  author  desires  to  acknowledge  the  kindness 
of  Mr.  Griffith,  of  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  for  historic 
information  concerning  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
Railroad;  of  Mr.  S.  K.  Hooper,  of  the  Denver  and 
Rio  Grande  Railroad,  for  literature  and  use  of  elec- 
tros, and  information  received;  of  Mr.  W.  B.  Knis- 
kern,  of  the  Chicago  and  North- Western  Railroad; 
Mr.  E.  L.  Lomax,  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad; 
Mr.  J.  Francis,  of  the  Burlington  Route;  and  Mr. 
W.  E.  Lowes,  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad 
respectively,  for  the  use  of  cuts  illustrating  scenes 
on  each  of  their  roads;  the  A.  S.  Abell  Co.,  of  the 
Baltimore  Sun,  for  the  use  of  engraving  of  Kansas 
City  Convention  Hall;  of  guides,  officials  and 
others  in  Colorado,  Kansas  City,  Omaha  and  Chi- 
cago for  information  given. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

CHAPTER  I. — Westward  Ho! — Scenes  and  Incidents  en 
route  to  Chicago  over  the  Picturesque  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  Railroad  1 1 

CHAPTER  II. — With  the  Star  of  Empire — Westward  from 
Chicago  to  Omaha  over  the  Great  Chicago  and  North- 
Western  Railroad — Scenes  and  Incidents  along  the 
Route  23 

CHAPTER  III. — Westward  from  Omaha  to  Denver  over 
the  Great  Northern  Pacific  Railroad — Scenes  and  In- 
cidents along  the  Route 31 

CHAPTER  IV. — Denver — A  City  of  Phenomenal  Growth. 
Industrial  Development  and  Commercial  Activity — 
Its  Growth  in  Thirty-five  Years 39 

CHAPTER  V. — Denver's  Public  Buildings — Handsome  and 
Costly  Structures — The  Elegant  State  Capitol — Its 
History,  Relics  and  Curios — Women  Politicians 49 

CHAPTER  VI.— Denver's  Postorfice,  City  Hall,  Court 
House,  Clubs  and  Many  other  Handsome  Structures 
beside  the  State  Capitol — Reminders  of  Home — Notes 
and  Incidents  60 

CHAPTER  VII.— Colorado— "  The  Switzerland  of  Amer- 
ica " — Its  Early  History  and  Development — Its  Scen- 
ery Excels  that  of  all  Europe 69 


8  CONTENTS. 


PAGE 


CHAPTER  VIIL— The  Sights  and  Scenes  on  the  Denver 
and  Rio  Gfande  Railroad — The  Famous  Loop  on  a 
Bender  73 

CHAPTER  IX. — Colorado  Springs  and  Manitou — "  The 
Saratoga  of  the  West  "—Pike's  Peak—"  The  Gem  of 
the  Rockies  " 91 

CHAPTER  X. — Colorado  Scenery — Grand  Caverns — Wil- 
liams Canon — The  Garden  of  the  Gods — Cave  of  the 
Winds — Glen  Eyrie  115 

CHAPTER  XL — Denver's  Oddities  and  Peculiarities — Some 
Striking  Features  of  the  Commonplace  Order 128 

CHAPTER  XIL— Kansas  City— The  Mid-Continent  Me- 
tropolis— Its  Early  History — Another  City  of  Phe- 
nomenal Growth — Its  Location  and  Climate — A  Good 
Place  to  Live  in 141 

CHAPTER  XIII. — Public  Buildings,  Fire  Department,  Li- 
brary and  Schools 160 

CHAPTER  XIV.— Bits  of  the  City's  Progress— Her  Post- 
office,  Parks  and  the  Central  High  School  Building.  .174 

CHAPTER  XV.— What  Others  Think  of  Us— Municipal 
Headquarters — The  Kansas  City  Jail — Other  Places  of 
Interest  186 

CHAPTER  XVI. — The  Armour  Packing  Company — The 
Gateway  of  the  Western  Farmer  and  Stock  Grower — 
How  the  Killing  is  Done 196 

CHAPTER  XVII. — Kansas  City  Side-Lights  and  a  Few 
Chords  of  its  Social  Harmonies 210 


CONTENTS.  9 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XVIII.—"  Armour  Rose  "  Sells  for  $2,500— The 
Famous  Kansas  City  Stock-yards,  a  Sight  Worth 
Seeing — From  Kansas  City  to  Omaha  over  the  Bur- 
lington Route — Omaha,  the  Scene  of  the  Great  West- 
ern Exposition  214 

CHAPTER  XIX.— The  Omaha  Exposition— Its  Beauties 
Dissolved  Forever — The  Last  Great  Educational  and 
Amusement  Enterprise  of  the  Century 222 

CHAPTER  XX. — From  Omaha  to  Chicago — A  Woman's 
Heroism — Incidents  on  the  Chicago  and  North- West- 
ern Railroad — Riding  in  a  Mail  Car 243 

CHAPTER  XXI.— Chicago  Sky-scrapers— The  City  has  a 
Rival— Relics  of  Withered  Glory— The  World's  Fair 
Grounds— The  New  Public  Library 248 

CHAPTER  XXII.— Milwaukee,  The  City  of  Breweries- 
Chicago's  Sabbath  Breaking— The  Zoo — Buildings 
Moved  from  Place  to  Place 252 

CHAPTER  XXIIL— Police,  All  Foreigners— Fine  Stores— 
The  Rookery  Building — Moving  Day — A  City  of 
Magnificent  Distances  257 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Portrait  of  Mrs.  Emma  Abbott  Gage frontispiece 

"Horse  and  Foot  through  Fredericktown  " page  14 

Picturesque  Point  of  Rocks,  Md "      16 

The  B.  &  O.  R.  R.  &  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  Canal "      18 

Harper's   Ferry    "     20 

"  All  Quiet  Along  the  Potomac  " "     22 

Fox  River,  Geneva,  Illinois "     26 

Mississippi  Valley  near  Clinton,  Iowa "     26 

The  Narrows,  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa "     32 

Union  Pacific  Bridge  across  Missouri  River  at  Omaha  "     32 

Cliff-Dwellers,    Mancos    Canon "     69 

Tunnel  No.  3 "      70 

Ophir  Loop    "     74 

Approach  to  the  Black  Canon "     76 

Marshall  Pass,  Western  Slope "      78 

Currecanti   Needle    "     80 

Chipeta  Falls,  in  the  Black  Canon "     82 

Royal  Gorge    "     84 

Mount  of  the  Holy  Cross,  Colorado "     86 

Fremont  Pass — Headwaters  of  the  Arkansas "     88 

Seven  Falls  in  Cheyenne  Canon "     96 

Bird's-Eye  View  of  Manitou "     98 

Ascent  of  Pike's  Peak "    100 

The  Mountain-Climber  "    104 

Mrs.  Riley  Picknicking  in  the  Rockies "    104 

Pike's  Peak  from  the  Garden  of  the  Gods "    112 

Kansas  City  Convention  Hall "    164 

Burlington  Route's  new  Station  at  Omaha "    220 

Burlington  Route  Exhibit  at  Omaha  Exposition "    232 

Iowa  River,  near  Tama,  Iowa "    244 

Iowa  Farm  Scene  "    244 

Near  Loveland,  Iowa  "   246 

Glen  Ellyn,  Illinois "    246 


WESTERN  WANDERINGS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

WESTWARD  HO! 

SCENES   AND   INCIDENTS   EN   ROUTE   TO    CHICAGO    OVER 

THE   PICTURESQUE   BALTIMORE  AND 

OHIO  RAILROAD. 

Having  been  born  one  of  those  questioning,  in- 
quiring creatures,  with  an  interrogation  point  be- 
hind us,  and  having  grown  up  with  the  desire  to 
follow  Horace  Greely's  injunction,  which  para- 
phrased is,  "  Go  West,  young  woman,  go  West,"  it 
had  been  the  desire  of  our  hearts  since  early  wo- 
manhood, to  peer  into  that  great  western  country 
about  which  so  much  has  been  said  and  written. 

Loving  travel,  and  hoping  some  day  to  visit 
other  lands,  we  preferred  first  to  learn  more  of  our 
own  fair,  beautiful  country,  "  the  land  of  the  free 
and  the  home  of  the  brave." 

To  this  end,  on  the  early  morning  of  July  31, 
1899,  in  company  with  Mr.  George  A.  Culver,  cash- 
ier of  the  Farmers'  National  Bank  of  Annapolis, 


12  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

and  his  wife,  Mrs.  George  A.  Culver,  we  boarded 
the  Baltimore  and  Annapolis  Short  Line  train  for 
Chicago,  via  Washington,  over  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  Railroad. 

Although  much  has  been  said  and  written  of  the 
far-famed  picturesque  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Rail- 
road, yet  there  is  always  something  fresh  and  new 
to  tell  about  it  when  the  tourist  embarks  on  the 
"  Royal  Blue  "  for  a  trip  over  the  most  historic  and 
picturesque  railway  in  the  East.  There  is  through- 
car  service  daily  on  the  "  New  York  and  Chicago 
Limited,"  trains  Nos.  5  and  6,  and  a  solid  vestibuled 
train  with  Pullman  drawing-room  sleeping-cars  to 
Chicago,  and  a  Pullman  observation-car  from  Bal- 
timore to  Pittsburgh.  The  car  service  is  perfect, 
the  officials  polite  and  obliging,  and  the  appoint- 
ments of  the  drawing-room  sleeping-car  unique. 
Riding  over  a  smooth  and  even  road-bed,  oiled 
with  crude  petroleum  to  lay  the  dust — that  bete 
noir  to  the  traveling  public — and  surrounded  with 
the  ease  and  comfort  of  home,  travel  on  the  Balti- 
more and  Ohio  is  robbed  of  its  unpleasant  features, 
and  one  skims  through  space  and  annihilates  time, 
all-forgetful  of  the  miles  that  separate  him  from 
those  loved  ones  at  home. 

The  observation-cars  are  comparatively  a  new 
feature  of  the  service,  and  seated  in  one  of  these  at 
the  rear  of  the  train,  one  has  every  opportunity  and 


EN    ROUTE   TO    CHICAGO.  13 

advantage  to  "  view  the  landscape  o'er,"  and  enjoy 
the  points  of  interest  and  historic  significance  for 
which  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  is  famous.  As  many 
of  our  readers  know,  part  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
road  between  Baltimore  and  Washington  was  the 
first  railroad  built  in  America.  From  Washington  to 
Pittsburgh  it  is  along  the  line  of  the  old  National 
Road,  which  was  laid  out  by  George  Washington  in 
1753.  George,  of  hatchet  fame,  was  at  that  time 
civil  engineer.  Between  Cumberland  and  Pitts- 
burgh was  the  scene  of  the  fourth  and  last  French 
and  Indian  War,  and  all  along  the  line  of  the  Bal- 
timore and  Ohio  from  Washington  to  Pittsburgh, 
are  historic  points  of  interest  connected  with  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion.  Besides  containing  so  many 
points  of  historic  interest  along  the  route,  the  Bal- 
timore and  Ohio  Railroad  winds  through  a  country 
of  most  picturesque  scenery,  the  beauty  and  mag- 
nificence of  which  are  unparalleled,  and  the  interest 
of  which  is  continuous  from  start  to  finish. 

Leaving  Annapolis  Junction,  which  is  324  miles 
from  Pittsburgh,  the  first  point  of  interest  is  Col- 
lege Park,  where  the  Maryland  State  Agricultural 
College  is  located.  Then  comes  Hyattsville,  or 
Bladensburg,  as  it  was  called.  Here  there  is  a 
ford,  across  which  the  British  charged  in  1814. 
The  line  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  passes  over  the 
ground  where  the  fighting  was  most  severe.  Not 


14  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

far  away  is  the  notorious  dueling  ground  of  Revo- 
lutionary times.  The  next  stop  is  at  the  city  of 
Washington,  where,  to  the  left  of  the  train  the 
domes  of  the  Capitol  and  Library  Building  can  be 
plainly  seen,  and  on  the  right,  Washington  Monu- 
ment looms  up,  a  shining-white,  glistening  mass  of 
marble.  Leaving  Washington,  the  first  stop  is  at 
Rockville,  the  county  seat  of  Montgomery  county, 
and  one  of  the  oldest  towns  in  Maryland.  About 
20  miles  from  this  point,  the  road  crosses  the  fa- 
mous Monocacy  river,  a  branch  of  the  Potomac. 
The  scenery  here  is  very  beautiful.  The  next  point 
of  interest  is  Washington  Junction,  14  miles  north 
of  which  is  Frederick,  of  "  Barbara  Fritchie  "  fame, 
and  where  the  battle  of  Monocacy  was  fought  be- 
tween Generals  Lew  Wallace  and  Jubal  Early. 
About  a  mile  from  Washington  Junction,  the  beau- 
tiful Potomac  river  begins  to  "  keep  company " 
with  the  railway,  and  continues  in  this  companion- 
ship for  about  150  miles. 

At  this  junction  is  Point  of  Rocks,  one  of  the 
most  picturesque  sections  of  Maryland.  Here,  to 
the  left,  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Canal  begins  its 
parallel  course  with  the  railway,  and  the  elevation 
to  the  mountain  regions  begins.  Here,  one 
catches  a  glimpse  of  the  beautiful  Alleghanies 
which,  a  little  later,  stand  out  in  bold  relief  in  all 
their  picturesque  beauty  and  grandeur.  It  was  at 


"  HORSE  AND  FOOT  THROUGH   FREDERICKTOWN."     BALTIMORE  &  OHIO  RAILROAD. 


EN    ROUTE   TO    CHICAGO.  15 

this  point  that  both  of  the  armies  during  the  Civil 
War  crossed  and  recrossed  the  Potomac,  and  here 
many  skirmishes  occurred.  The  next  point  of  in- 
terest is  at  Brunswick,  where  General  Meade's 
army  recrossed  the  Potomac  on  its  return  from  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg  to  Washington.  After  a  ride 
of  three  miles,  Weverton  is  reached.  Here  it  was 
that  General  Burnside  with  his  command,  crossed 
the  railroad  en  route  to  Washington  from  the  bat- 
tle of  Antietam.  Words  cannot  describe  the  pic- 
turesque beauty  of  America's  most  historic  spot, 
Harper's  Ferry,  West  Virginia,  which  is  95  miles 
from  Baltimore  and  247  miles  from  Pittsburgh. 
The  Baltimore  and  Ohio  has  recently  straightened 
its  route  considerably,  besides  lessening  the  dis- 
tance by  cutting  tunnels  through  the  mountains. 
Approaching  Harper's  Ferry  from  the  east,  the 
train  passes  through  one  of  these  recently-cut  tun- 
nels through  the  base  of  Maryland  Heights.  Here, 
the  new  steel  bridge  over  the  Potomac  is  crossed, 
and  a  stop  is  made  at  the  station,  where  there  is  a 
monument  to  John  Brown.  To  the  left  is  the 
Shenandoah  river,  another  branch  of  the  Potomac. 
Across  the  Shenandoah  river  can  be  seen  the  big 
mountain  known  as  Loudon  Heights,  on  the  Vir- 
ginia side,  and  back  of  the  town  to  the  west  is  Boli- 
var Heights.  Back  of  a  little  Catholic  church  on 
the  hill  is  Jefferson's  Rock,  where  one  of  the  grand- 


1 6  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

est  views  of  the  mountain,  river  and  valley  can  be 
obtained.  This  is  so  named  because  Thomas  Jef- 
ferson said  the  view  from  here  was  "-worthy  a  trip 
across  the  Atlantic." 

It  was  at  Harper's  Ferry  that  the  strife  leading  to 
the  Civil  War  had  its  birth,  and  here  it  was  that 
John  Brown,  of  Ossawatomie  fame,  with  his  little 
band  of  brave  but  fanatic  followers,  shed  the  first 
blood.  The  monument  to  him,  referred  to  pre- 
viously, is  a  simple  shaft,  and  stands  on  the  spot 
where  his  improvised  "  fort  "  stood  forty  years  ago. 
Alongside  the  monument  are  government  tablets, 
on  which  the  story  of  the  invasion  of  Harper's 
Ferry  is  emblazoned.  Below  the  present  railway 
track,  and  to  the  right,  along  the  Potomac,  can  be 
seen  the  old  foundation,  all  that  is  left  of  the  United 
States  arsenal  once  located  here. 

After  passing  Shenandoah  Junction,  where  many 
skirmishes  of  the  Civil  War  took  place,  Duffields, 
West  Virginia,  is  reached.  Here,  General  Drake, 
of  Revolutionary  fame,  is  buried  a  short  distance 
from  the  station.  Next  along  the  route  is  Kear- 
neysville,  famous  during  the  Revolutionary  War. 
Here  are  still  standing  the  homes  of  Generals  Gates 
and  Charles  Lee,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  General 
Robert  E.  Lee  passed  through  this  place  on  his  way 
to  Antietam.  The  historic  city  of  Martinsburg, 
which  played  an  important  part  in  the  Civil  War, 


EN    ROUTE   TO    CHICAGO.  I/ 

is  the  next  point  of  interest  en  route.  It  was  here 
that  wholesale  destruction  of  railroad  property  of 
the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  by  Stonewall  Jackson  took 
place.  His  army  carried  away  eight  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  engines,  hauling  them  by  men  and  horses  30 
miles,  to  be  placed  on  southern  roads  and  used  by 
his  army. 

In  passing,  one  catches  a  sight  of  North  Moun- 
tain, where  the  battle  of  that  name  between  General 
Averill's  and  General  Lee's  forces  took  place. 

Sir  John's  Run,  West  Virginia,  is  a  town  founded 
long  before  the  Revolution  and  so  named  because 
it  was  once  the  headquarters  of  Sir  John  Sinclair, 
who  was  General  Braddock's  quartermaster.  This 
place  is  famous  for  having  been  the  scene  of  the 
building  of  the  first  steamboat  that  was  run  on  the 
Potomac,  of  which  Ramsay  was  the  builder.  Pass- 
ing several  points  of  more  or  less  historic  interest, 
Cumberland,  the  Queen  City  of  Maryland,  1,000 
feet  above  sea-level,  is  reached.  Here,  at  Fort 
Cumberland,  General  Braddock  and  General 
George  Washington  made  their  headquarters  dur- 
ing the  French  and  Indian  War,  on  a  bluff  at  the 
junction  of  Wills  creek  with  the  Potomac  river. 
On  this  site  an  Episcopal  church  now  stands. 
Leaving  Cumberland,  the  railway  winds  along 
Wills  creek,  which  flows  through  a  natural  pass  in 
Wills  Mountain,  called  The  Narrows,  on  either  side 


?8  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

of  which  the  mountain  sides  are  steep  and  precipi- 
tous. In  the  "Virginians,"  Thackeray  describes 
Wills  creek  and  the  two  ranges  of  the  Laurel  Hills 
and  the  Alleghanies.  At  the  entrance  of  the  gorge, 
and  to  the  left  is  the  National  Bridge,  a  great  stone 
structure,  built  by  the  government  during  the 
"  twenties,"  through  the  influence  of  Henry  Clay 
and  other  western  statesmen  interested  in  public 
improvement.  The  bed  of  the  railroad  here  had  to 
be  cut  through  solid  rock  in  many  places. 

Going  west,  Bear's  Heights  is  on  the  right  and 
Mount  Nebo  on  the  left,  and  flowing  between  these 
is  Wills  creek.  This,  and  Wills  Mountain,  take 
their  name  from  an  old  Suwanee  Chief,  Will.  One 
side  of  Bear's  Heights  is  almost  perpendicular,  and 
to  this  has  been  ascribed  the  name  Lover's  Leap, 
to  which  is  attached  a  legend  that  an  Indian  maiden 
cast  herself  from  its  summit  to  the  rocks  below  in 
her  grief  at  her  lover's  death.  Two  miles  west  of 
this,  and  to  the  right,  is  to  be  seen  Devil's  Back- 
bone, a  narrow  ledge  of  rock  imbedded  in  the 
mountain,  the  peculiar  shape  of  which  accounts  for 
the  name.  West  of  Cumberland,  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  is  along  the  route  originally  selected  by 
George  Washington  as  the  best  avenue  for  com- 
merce to  Pittsburgh,  and  is  said  to  have  been 
founded  in  1753.  At  Bowman,  Pennsylvania,  is 
the  famous  horse-shoe  curve,  the  heel  prints  of 
which  are  not  more  than  200  yards  apart. 


THE  BALTIMORE  &  OHIO  RAILROAD  AND  CHESAPEAKE  &  OHIO  CANAL. 


EN    ROUTE   TO    CHICAGO.  19 

Passing  on,  and  225  miles  from  Baltimore,  the 
road  reaches  an  elevation  of  2,286  feet.  Here  is 
located  Sand  Patch,  so  named  because  in  the  early 
part  of  this  century  two  brothers  quarreled  here, 
one  fatally  shooting  the  other.  The  tragedy  oc- 
curred near  a  large  deposit  of  sand,  and  was  re- 
ferred to  by  witnesses  throughout  the  trial  as  "  sand 
patch."  Here  it  is  that  the  railroad  attains  the 
greatest  altitude  on  this  division,  the  summit  of  the 
mountain  over  the  tunnel  being  2,467  feet  above 
tidewater.  Passing  on  over  a  distance  of  between 
40  and  50  miles,  and  through  cities  and  towns  of 
more  or  less  historic  interest,  a  stop  is  made  at 
Ohio  Pyle,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  Youghiogheny 
river. 

Here,  the  wild  and  mountainous  scenery  is  in- 
deed beautiful,  and  one  cannot  but  admire  nature's 
magnificent  handiwork  while  one  looks  "  through 
nature  up  to  nature's  God."  The  Youghiogheny 
river,  which  is  now  shortened  into  Yough,  is  so 
called  from  a  legend  which  says  a  fight  once  oc- 
curred here  between  an  Irishman  and  an  Indian. 
The  Irishman  had  agreed  that  the  Indian  should 
cry  out  "  enough  "  when  the  pugilist  of  Erin  had 
exercised  the  "  manly  art "  on  his  nibs  to  the  extent 
of  human  endurance.  The  Indian  forgot  the  word 
"  enough,"  or  else  could  not  pronounce  it,  and  kept 
on  crying  out  "  Yough !  Yough ! "  The  Irishman 


2O  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

became  incensed,  and  told  the  Indian  if  he  cried  out 
""  yough  "  again  he  would  kill  him,  hence  the  name 
""  Youghiogheny." 

Three  miles  from  here  is  Fort  Necessity,  where 
the  American  troops  surrendered  to  the  French, 
July  4th,  1754.  At  Connelsville,  Pennsylvania,  is 
located  the  greatest  coke  region  of  the  world.  Here 
are  to  be  seen  coke  ovens  on  both  sides  of  the  rail- 
way, with  flames  shooting  out  from  them  and  light- 
ing the  vicinity  like  so  many  blazing  torches  in  line 
with  the  procession.  At  the  confluence  of  the 
Youghiogheny  and  the  Monongahela  rivers  is  lo- 
cated McKeesport,  Pennsylvania,  an  important 
manufacturing  centre,  where  are  situated  the 
largest  tube  works  in  the  world.  Beside  these,  are 
the  Bessemer  Steel  Works  and  Armor  Piercing 
Projectile  Works. 

Braddock,  Pennsylvania,  is  the  next  point  of  in- 
terest, named  after  General  Braddock,  who  was 
killed  here  in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  after  the 
fatal  sixty  days'  march.  His  grave  is  near  the  old 
National  Road.  Near  this  place  are  the  Edgar 
Thompson  Rail  Mills  and  the  Carnegie  Steel  Com- 
pany's Works.  Pittsburgh  is  now  reached,  which 
town  was  founded  by  George  Washington  in  1753. 
It  was  captured  by  the  French  and  called  Fort  Du- 
quesne,  recaptured  by  the  British  and  called  Fort 
Pitt,  after  the  distinguished  statesman.  It  was  after- 


EN    ROUTE   TO    CHICAGO.  21 

wards  called  Pittsburgh,  and  is  the  centre  of  the 
greatest  iron  industries  of  the  United  States.  At 
this  point,  night  comes  on.  The  train  arrives  at 
7.20  p.  m.  and  leaves  at  6.35  ditto — verifying  Mark 
Twain's  version  of  the  usefulness  of  railroad  time- 
tables, that  one  leaves  a  place  an  hour  before  arriv- 
ing there.  At  Pittsburgh,  therefore,  everybody 
sets  his  watch  back  an  hour,  from  eastern  to  central 
time.  The  observation-car  was  here  taken  off,  as 
nightfall  prohibited  its  use,  and  reading  was  resort- 
ed to  in  the  Pullman  until  the  hour  of  making  up 
the  sections  in  the  sleeper  rolled  around.  Soon  all 
had  turned  in,  and  sepulchral  silence  reigned  over 
all  save  for  the  whistle  of  the  engine  ever  and  anon, 
or  the  snore  of  the  fellow  in  the  adjoining  section, 
which  was  a  gentle  reminder  of  things  ethereal  even 
on  a  fast-flying  Royal  Blue.  The  sunrise  re- 
vealed a  striking  contrast  with  the  undulating, 
mountainous  scenery  of  the  previous  day,  for  now 
the  land,  broad  and  flat,  stretched  far  out,  without 
a  semblance  of  a  hill  to  be  seen  anywhere  as  far  as 
the  eye  .could  reach.  Little  of  interest  is  to  be  seen 
until  South  Chicago  is  reached  at  8  a.  m.,  and  an 
hour  later,  No.  5  lightens  its  burden  of  living 
freight  at  Grand  Central  Station,  Chicago. 

This  is  one  of  the  handsomest  stations  in  the 
country.  Its  interior  is  of  massive  marble  columns 
supporting  the  graceful  arches  of  Mosaic  work,  and 


22  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

resting  on  a  handsome  floor  of  tiling,  kept  scrupu- 
lously clean — a  matter  to  be  wondered  at  in  dirty, 
muddy  Chicago.  The  trip  is  made  on  time,  with- 
out a  jar  or  a  mishap,  and  one  arrives  in  the 
World's  Fair  city  as  refreshed  and  ambitious  as 
though  he  had  only  "  stepped "  to  Baltimore  in- 
stead of  to  Lake  Michigan.  So  easy  is  the  road- 
bed of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio,  so  complete  the 
service,  so  elegant  the  appointments  which  sur- 
round the  traveler  with  all  the  comforts  of  home, 
that  the  Royal  Blue  may  truly  be  said  to  be  the 
finest  train-system  in  the  East. 

At  Chicago,  we  parted  company  with  our  de- 
lightful traveling  companions,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cul- 
ver. They  continued  the  journey  to  their  object- 
ive point,  Fargo,  North  Dakota,  by  a  different 
route  from  that  which  we  had  chosen  to  Denv.v. 
At  Fargo,  the  Culvers  were  to  be  the  guests  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Edwin  F.  Ladd,  of  the  North  Dakota 
Agricultural  College,  relatives  whom  they  had  not 
seen  for  years. 

It  was  not  without  regret  that  we  came  to  the 
"  parting  of  the  ways,"  and  good-byes  were  said, 
and  the  remainder  of  the  trip  westward  made  alone. 


ALL  QUIET  ALONG  THE  POTOMAC."     BALTIMORE  &  OHIO  RAILROAD. 


CHAPTER  II. 

WITH  THE  STAR  OF  EMPIRE. 

WESTWARD  FROM  CHICAGO  TO  OMAHA  OVER  THE  GREAT 

CHICAGO  AND  NORTH-WESTERN  RAILROAD — 

SCENES  AND  INCIDENTS  ALONG 

THE    ROUTE. 

Vacation  days,  looked  forward  to  with  eager  an- 
ticipation and  enjoyed  with  keen  relish,  are  ended 
for  the  average  bread-winner,  when  for  some  they 
are  just  about  to  begin.  It  would  not  do  for  all 
to  take  vacation  at  once,  there  would  be  nobody 
at  home  to  sew  on  Johnnie's  buttons,  or  darn  Su- 
sie's stockings,  or  make  the  baby  a  frock.  So  off 
we  go  in  sections;  and  some  of  us  are  pleased  at  be- 
ing in  the  tail  end  of  the  procession,  and  not  with 
the  hilarious  band-wagon  that  went  along  in  the 
burden  and  the  heat  of  the  mid-summer  day. 

You  dropped  us — or  we  dropped  ourselves — in 
the  foregoing  chapter,  at  Chicago,  the  bustling, 
hustling  World's  Fair  city,  adjacent  to  which  Dame 
Nature  has  scattered  her  gifts  in  such  prodigal  pro- 
fusion, especially  along  the  line  of  the  famous  Chi- 
cago and  North-Western  Railway.  Arriving  at 


24  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

Chicago  via  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio,  en  route  for 
Denver,  one  proceeds  to  the  station  of  the  Chicago 
and  North-Western,  the  pioneer  line  west  and 
northwest  of  Chicago.  Here,  one  finds  the  most 
urbane  officials,  ready  and  willing  to  give  all  infor- 
mation desired. 

To  facilitate  matters,  a  corps  of  uniformed  at- 
tendants has  been  provided  at  the  Chicago  Pas- 
senger Station  of  the  North-Western  line,  to  render 
both  incoming  and  outgoing  passengers  all  neces- 
sary assistance.  These  attendants  wear  blue  uni- 
forms and  bright  red  caps,  and  one  or  more  of  them 
is  to  be  found  on  the  platform  at  the  arrival  of 
each  train,  to  assist  persons  in  feeble  health,  help 
with  hand-baggage,  and  direct  the  way  to  street- 
cars, cabs,  omnibuses  or  coupes.  Their  service  is 
entirely  free,  and  no  "  tips  "  are  necessary.  We  re- 
ceived the  most  polite  attention  from  one  of  these 
attendants,  or  "  ushers  "  as  they  are  called,  and  on 
inquiry  found  him  to  be  Frederick  G.  Follett,  usher 
No.  4,  whose  polite  service  won  favor  with  us,  and 
was  a  drawing  card  for  the  road. 

Most  Colorado  passengers  leave  Chicago  on  the 
"  Colorado  Special "  at  10  a.  m.,  which  arrives  in 
Denver  at  2.55  p.  m.,  next  day.  This  train 
has  through  drawing-room,  buffet-,  smoking-  and 
library-cars,  also  free  reclining-chair-cars  to  Den- 
ver, with  dining-cars,  meals  a  la  carte.  There  is 


FROM    CHICAGO    TO    OMAHA.  25 

everything  provided  that  makes  traveling  easy  and 
comfortable  on  the  trains  of  the  Chicago  and 
North- Western,  which  is  a  standard  of  excellence 
in  railway  construction,  operation  and  equipment. 
The  service  is  the  best,  and  is  thoroughly  appre- 
ciated by  the  average  tourist.  The  Chicago  and 
North-Western  Railway  is  the  greatest  railroad 
system  of  the  West,  reaching  with  its  7,997  miles 
of  road  (including  175  miles  of  side-track  in  Chi- 
cago), and  by  traffic  arrangements  with  other  rail- 
ways, 7,350  stations  located  on  41,000  miles  of  rail- 
road. 

This  is  one-ninth  of  the  entire  railroad  mileage  of 
the  world,  and  one-fourth  of  the  railroad  mileage 
of  the  United  States.  The  Chicago  and  North- 
Western  has  along  its  line  more  manufactories  than 
any  other  western  railroad,  and  it  offers  large  in- 
ducements; and,  with  its  eye  ever  open  to  progress, 
it  invites  eastern  manufacturers  contemplating 
moving,  or  establishing  branch  manufactories  in 
the  West,  to  ascertain  the  advantages  to  be  gained 
along  its  route  before  locating  elsewhere.  Push, 
progress,  persistence  and  pre-established  success 
are  synonymous  with  the  Chicago  and  North-Wes- 
tern. It  reaches,  with  its  own  rails,  the  famous 
water-powers,  iron-ore  ranges,  coal-fields,  hard- 
and  soft-lumber  districts  located  in  northern  Illi- 
nois, Wisconsin,  Michigan,  Minnesota,  Iowa  and 


26  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

South  Dakota.  As  the  present  road  stands,  it  is 
the  result  of  a  series  of  consolidations  and  numer- 
ous constructions  under  various  corporate  names 
and  during  a  series  of  years.  The  earliest-built 
portion  of  the  road  was  incorporated  in  the  State 
of  Illinois  in  1836,  and  was  constructed  from  Chi- 
cago to  Galena. 

The  Galena  and  Chicago  Union  Railroad  Com- 
pany was  incorporated,  January  i6th,  1836,  and 
was  provided  with  a  "  saving  clause  "  in  its  charter, 
whereby  the  contemplated  road  might  be  made  a 
"  good  turnpike  "  instead  of  a  railroad.  Whether 
hesitating  over  which  it  should  be,  or  simply  wait- 
ing for  the  "  Star  of  Empire,"  it  exhibited  no  es- 
pecial vitality  for  some  time;  and  ten  years  after  its 
organization,  found  the  directors  of  the  company 
seriously  discussing  the  policy  of  turning  their  at- 
tention backward  from  the  wilds  of  Illinois,  and 
first  building  their  road  eastward  to  meet  the  Mich- 
igan Central  Railroad,  which  was  then  halting  at 
New  Buffalo,  Indiana.  They,  however,  did  decide 
to  venture  westward,  and  the  first  ten  miles  of  road, 
Chicago  to  Harlem,  was  completed,  December 
3Oth,  1848.  At  this  time,  the  superior  advantages 
of  "  T-rail  "  became  apparent,  and  the  "  strap-rail " 
with  which  the  road  had  been  laid,  was  taken  up, 
and  the  iron  "  T-rail "  put  down.  This  again,  with 
the  further  march  of  improvement,  has  given  place 


FOX   RIVER,  GENEVA,   ILLINOIS. 


MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY,  NEAR  CLINTON,  IOWA. 


FROM    CHICAGO    TO    OMAHA.  2J 

to  the  eighty-pound-per-yard  steel  rail,  with  which 
the  line  is  now  laid.  The  history  of  the  road  is 
replete  with  interest,  and  its  success  has  been  phe- 
nomenal. It  has  well  won  its  claim  to  the  title  of 
"  Greatest  Railroad  System  of  the  West." 

In  passing  it  will  not  be  amiss  to  mention  that 
the  Chicago  and  North- Western  Railway  is  cele- 
brated for  the  numerous  charming  resorts  on  its 
lines.  Among  these  are  the  lakes  and  woodlands 
of  northern  Wisconsin  and  Michigan,  which  offer 
a  paradise  to  the  exponent  and  lover  of  the  rod  and 
gun. 

There  is  a  multitude  of  these  lakes,  named  and 
unnamed,  but  one  delightful  resort,  which  has 
grown  in  popularity  with  victims  of  hay-fever,  asth- 
ma, throat  and  lung  troubles,  is  Gogebic  Lake,  situ- 
ated in  a  romantic  forest  which  extends  over  nor- 
thern Wisconsin  and  the  upper  peninsula  of  Mich- 
igan. It  is  highly  recommended  by  physicians, 
and  attracts  thousands  to  its  shores.  It  has  an  un- 
varying temperature  of  42  degrees,  and  one  of  its 
attractions  is  an  artesian  well,  flowing  2,500  gal- 
lons per  hour  of  the  purest  and  most  refreshing 
water.  It  is  1,400  feet  above  ocean-level  and  900 
feet  above  Lake  Superior. 

But  this  is  a  little  off  our  line  of  travel,  and  we 
must  confine  ourselves  to  straight  roads  with  no 
side-tracks.  Leaving  Chicago,  there  are  23  sta- 


28  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

tions  before  reaching  the  Union  Pacific  Transfer 
and  arriving  at  Omaha.  The  scenery  is  more  or 
less  picturesque  along  the  route,  and  there  are  mul- 
titudes of  points  of  interest.  We  shall  only  at- 
tempt to  mention  some  of  them.  We  passed  Ge- 
neva, DeKalb,  Rochelle,  Clinton,  DeWitt,  Cedar 
Rapids  and  Marshalltown.  Here,  a  number  of 
passengers  left  the  train,  among  them  a  lady  from 
Hagerstown,  on  a  visit  to  relatives,  whom  she  had 
not  seen  for  many  years.  Leaving  Marshalltown 
we  arrived  at  Nevada,  then  Ames.  Here,  a  num- 
ber of  students,  on  their  way  to  college,  left  the 
train.  At  Ames,  Iowa,  is  located  the  Iowa  State 
College,  a  co-educational  institution.  The  presi- 
dent is  Prof.  Byer,  a  graduate  of  Johns  Hopkins 
University,  Baltimore. 

The  college  is  a  handsome  building,  with  spa- 
cious grounds.  Several  elegant  residences  are 
erected  on  the  campus;  in  one  of  these  resides  Sec- 
retary Wilson  and  his  charming  family.  The  sec- 
retary is  instructor  of  agriculture  at  the  college. 
It  seemed  odd  to  see  the  students  entering  college 
for  another  term  in  the  month  of  August.  On  in- 
quiry of  one  of  them,  an  exceedingly  clever  young 
girl,  we  were  informed  that  the  vacation  in  Iowa 
was  in  winter,  not  in  summer.  Leaving  Ames,  the 
next  stop  is  at  Boones.  Here,  all  passengers  were 
on  the  qui  vive  for  a  wreck  that  had  occurred  the 


FROM    CHICAGO    TO    OMAHA.  29 

day  previous,  and  in  which  the  engineer  and  fire- 
man were  killed.  At  this  point  in  the  road  there  is 
a  short  curve,  and  it  was  said  the  train  East-bound 
jumped  the  track,  the  engine  falling  over  the  em- 
bankment and  derailing  the  coaches.  There  they 
lay,  a  twisted  mass  of  wood  and  iron,  a  gruesome  re- 
minder of  the  accident  of  a  few  hours  previous.  We 
were  told  that  Kate  Shelly,  of  whom  we  are  about 
to  speak,  made  herself  useful  on  this  occasion,  as 
well  as  on  one  other,  and  was  at  the  scene  of  the 
accident  with  bandages,  her  camphor  and  whiskey 
bottle,  administering  to  the  wounded  and  dying. 

Leaving  Boones  about  10  miles  away,  we  cross- 
ed the  bridge  which  Kate  Shelly  has  made  famous 
by  her  heroism,  and  which  is  now  called  "  Kate 
Shelly's  Bridge."  Here,  some  years  ago,  the  afore- 
said Kate  Shelly  crawled  on  her  hands  and  knees, 
waving  a  lantern,  to  warn  a  coming  train  of  danger, 
thus  saving  hundreds  of  lives  from  a  horrible  death. 
Kate  lives  in  a  humble  little  cottage  that  can  be 
seen  from  the  bridge.  At  Jefferson,  darkness  be- 
gins to  close  in  upon  us,  and  we  go  whizzing  along 
— passing  Carroll,  Denton  and  Missouri  Valley,  un- 
til Council  Bluffs  is  reached  at  11.20  p.  m.  The 
Union  Pacific  Transfer  station  is  made  at  11.30  and 
we  cross  the  bridge  to  Omaha,  the  terminus  of  the 
Chicago  and  North- Western,  a  road  over  which  we 
traveled  with  much  comfort,  pleasure  and  interest; 


30  WESTERN   WANDERINGS. 

and  the  complete  service,  polite  officials  and  unique 
appointments  of  which  commend  themselves  to  the 
tourist.  On  we  go,  westward  with  the  "  Star  of 
Empire."  A  little  more  than  a  baker's  dozen  of 
hours  before,  we  had  been  in  the  midst  of  the  smoke 
and  noise  of  bustling,  busy  Chicago,  and  now,  we 
were  on  the  borderland  of  that  great  plain  that 
stretches  away  to  Granite  Canon,  and  the  summit 
of  the  Rockies.  Truly  steam  annihilates  space ;  and 
man's  skill  and  ingenuity  overcomes  difficulties. 


CHAPTER  III. 

WESTWARD  FROM  OMAHA  TO  DENVER  OVER  THE  GREAT 

NORTHERN  PACIFIC  RAILROAD SCENES  AND 

INCIDENTS  ALONG  THE   ROUTE. 

At  Omaha,  we  were  569  miles  from  Denver.  We 
are  now  traveling  on  the  Union  Pacific,  one  of  the 
finest  equipped  roads  in  the  country.  It  is  nearly 
midnight  and  we  are  about  to  turn  in  and  enjoy 
one  of  the  new  sleepers  of  the  Union  Pacific's 
railroad  palaces,  which  were  specially  built  for  the 
company,  and  recently  put  into  service  on  their 
famous  fast  trains. 

These  veritable  railroad  palaces  are  broad,  vesti- 
buled,  twelve-section,  drawing-room,  smoking- 
room  cars,  heavily  draped  in  silk,  with  seats  of  em- 
bossed silk-plush,  and  wood-work  decorated  in  the 
most  unique  and  artistic  style.  The  berths  are  four 
inches  wider  than  usual,  thus  adding  to  the  comfort 
of  the  traveler.  In  the  ladies'  dressing-room  on 
these  cars,  an  innovation  in  the  form  of  an  empire 
dresser,  with  heavy  plate  mirrors,  is  an  added  feat- 
ure. In  the  Union  Pacific  trains  the  arrangement 
of  the  gas  lamps  is  also  unique.  These  are  set  in 


32  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

recesses,  giving  a  much  softer  tone  of  illumination 
than  otherwise. 

On  inquiry,  we  find  that  the  first  settlement  was 
made  at  Omaha  in  1854,  and  that  it  was  named 
from  the  Omaha  Indians  who  then  possessed  the 
country.  In  its  embryo,  Omaha  was  a  mud-hole; 
to-day,  it  is  one  of  the  finest  paved  cities  in  the 
West.  Its  population  is  about  140,500,  and  in 
1880,  it  had  a  population  of  only  30,000.  The  Un- 
ion Pacific  Railroad  has  a  handsome  bridge  con- 
necting Omaha,  Nebraska,  with  Council  Bluffs, 
Iowa.  This  bridge  is  1,750  feet  long  and  70  feet 
above  the  water,  and  is  the  only  double-track  steel 
bridge  over  the  Missouri.  It  provides  for  the  great 
transcontinental  traffic  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific  coasts.  The  exposition  was  still  in  progress 
at  Omaha,  and  the  attendance  had  been  good.  It 
was  expected  to  close  in  November,  and  had  been 
very  successful  throughout.  A  large  number  of 
visitors  to  the  exposition  left  the  train  at  Omaha, 
and  others  who  had  been  "  doing  it,"  boarded  the 
train  "  for  green  fields  and  pastures  new." 

Four  miles  from  Omaha  to  the  south,  is  South 
Omaha.  It  has  been  dubbed  the  "Magic  City," 
and  is  connected  by  railroad  and  street-railway  with 
Omaha.  It  was  once  a  suburb  of  that  city,  and 
its  rise  in  comparatively  a  few  years  to  the  third 
greatest  live-stock  market,  and  meat-packing  cen- 


THE  NARROWS,  CEDAR   RAPIDS,   IOWA. 


UNION   PACIFIC  BRIDGE  ACROSS  MISSOURI   RIVER  AT  OMAHA. 


FROM    OMAHA   TO    DENVER.  33 

tre,  is  phenomenal.  About  40  miles  further  on,  we 
reach  Fremont,  which  is  situated  in  the  midst  of 
the  richest  and  most  productive  portion  of  the 
Platte  Valley.  At  this  point  the  valley  stretches 
away  in  all  directions  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach. 
Another  30  miles,  and  Schuyler  is  reached.  It  is 
the  seat  of  Colfax  county,  and  is  a  growing  and  en- 
terprising town.  Schuyler  does  a  large  business 
in  wheat  shipments.  We  are  still  in  Nebraska;  and 
about  1 8  miles  from  Schuyler  we  reach  Columbus, 
which,  in  1864,  was  the  frontier  town  of  the  State. 
At  this  time  there  were  few  settlers  in  Nebraska  be- 
yond the  town  of  Columbus.  To-day  it  has  a 
population  of  4,150.  In  the  "  sixties,"  Mr.  George 
Train  called  Columbus  the  geographical  centre  of 
the  United  States,  and  advocated  the  removal  of 
the  National  Capital  to  this  place. 

Proceeding  on  our  westward  course,  40  miles 
further  on,  a  stop  is  made  at  Central  City,  the 
county  seat  of  Merrick  county.  It  is  located  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  county,  and  is  its  business 
centre,  commanding  as  it  does,  a  good  trade. 
Grand  Island,  Nebraska,  is  the  next  stop.  It  has 
a  population  of  9,000  and  is  a  large  and  important 
business  place  and  railroad-junction.  Several 
hundred  men  are  employed  at  the  Union  Pacific 
machine-  and  repair-shops,  which  are  located  there. 
The  station  was  named  Grand  Island,  from  an 


34  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

island  in  the  Platte  river,  two  miles  from  this  point. 
The  island,  which  is  30  miles  long  and  4  miles  wide, 
is  the  largest  in  the  river.  South  of  the  ridge,  sepa- 
rating the  valley  from  the  Platte  and  Wood  rivers, 
Kearney  is  located.  Situated  as  it  is,  Kearney  af- 
fords the  natural  opportunity  for  the  establishment 
of  three  artificial  lakes,  giving  an  immense  water- 
power,  the  capacity  of  which  is  scarcely  disturbed 
by  the  various  manufacturing  plants  now  operated 
by  it.  Another  stop  is  made  at  Lexington,  Ne- 
braska, which  is  the  centre  of  a  rich  agricultural  and 
fertile  district.  About  60  miles  west  of  this  point, 
we  reach  North  Platte,  Nebraska,  arriving  here  at 
half-past  seven  in  the  morning  by  central  time,  and 
leaving  (a  la  Mark  Twain,  "  before  we  got  there  ") 
at  6.30  a.  m.,  mountain-time.  Here  we  set  our 
watches  back  an  hour,  and  now  we  are  two  hours 
slower  than  when  we  left  Annapolis.  We  had  for- 
gotten all  about  the  change  of  time  from  central  to 
mountain,  and  in  consequence  arose  an  hour  earlier 
than  we  otherwise  should,  fearing  the  porter  had 
neglected  to  call  us  in  time  for  the  "  last  call  for 
breakfast."  The  change  in  time  corresponding  to 
change  in  longitude,  is  to  some,  quite  puzzling, 
and  is  the  occasion  for  ludicrous  incidents,  often- 
times. North  Platte,  where  the  time  changes  from 
central  to  mountain,  is  the  headquarters  of  the 
largest  live-stock  interests  in  the  State  of  Nebraska 
— horses,  cattle  and  sheep. 


FROM    OMAHA    TO    DENVER.  35 

At  last  we  are  out  of  Nebraska,  and  the  first  stop 
made  in  Colorado  (the  State  the  name  of  which  is 
of  Spanish  origin,  and  means  red  or  colored,  and 
is  so  called  because  of  the  ruddy-colored  sand- 
stone prevalent  throughout  its  borders)  is  at  Jules- 
burg,  197  miles  from  the  city  of  Denver. 

Julesburg  has  about  600  inhabitants,  and  is 
named  for  one,  Jules  Burg,  who  was  a  resident  of 
the  town  in  1 860-61.  He  was  a  desperado,  and  is 
said  to  have  "  died  with  his  boots  on."  At  Jules- 
burg,  the  train  stopped  for  quite  a  little  while,  and 
a  number  of  the  tourists  got  off  and  enjoyed  the 
famous  Colorado  morning  air  and  sunshine.  We 
were  very  much  amused  at  a  large  placard  posted 
in  the  telegraph  office  at  the  station.  Emblazoned 
in  large  type  was  the  following  startling  advertise- 
ment, "  Wanted — A  Bride  and  Groom." 

At  first,  we  were  puzzled  to  know  if  weddings  are 
such  an  unknown  quantity  in  this  State  that  the 
exponents  must  needs  be  advertised  for.  On  in- 
quiry, however,  we  were  informed  there  was  to  be 
a  carnival,  at  which  the  drawing  card  would  be 
several  weddings  of  those  who  were  willing  to  be 
"  tied  up  "  publicly  in  odd  and  grotesque  costumes. 
As  an  incentive  to  help  advertise  King  Carnival,  the 
brides  were  to  be  given  handsome  presents.  One 
of  these  carnivals  occurred  during  our  sojourn  in 
the  West,  at  which  one  of  the  grooms  was  a  phy- 


36  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

sician  and  he  and  his  bride  were  married  in  Indian 
costume. 

Another  station  of  importance  in  Colorado,  is 
La  Salle.  It  is  46  miles  from  Denver,  and  is  a  junc- 
tion for  the  Union  Pacific  and  Denver  Short  Line 
Branch  for  Julesburg.  Crossing  the  prairies,  there 
were  many  things  that  attracted  our  notice.  Chief 
among  these  was  the  fact  that  no  matter  how  small 
a  town  or  a  burg,  the  village  or  hamlet,  if  only  a 
dozen  houses,  there  was  always  a  school.  The 
people  in  the  west  believe  in  education,  and  their 
schools  are  monuments  to  that  belief.  They  are 
no  shoddy  affairs  either;  they  are  modern  buildings, 
well  painted,  with  good  play-grounds,  and  attrac- 
tive surroundings.  We  were  commenting  upon  the 
numerous  schools  in  the  small  towns  en  route,  when 
we  were  told  that  Colorado  has  more  school-ground 
for  its  size  than  any  State  in  the  Union;  but  of  this 
we  shall  speak  later. 

The  little,  chubby  prairie-dogs  were  objects  of 
interest  to  the  tourist.  For  miles  along  the  rail- 
road were  to  be  seen  their  mud-  and  sand-houses. 
These  dogs  are  curious  little  creatures,  and,  at  a 
distance,  do  not  look  unlike  the  chipmunk.  They 
are  agile  and  playful,  jumping  and  running  about 
in  apparent  great  glee.  Here  and  there,  whole 
families  and  villages  of  these  prairie-dogs  were  to 
be  seen,  when  occasionally  there  would  be  but  one 


FROM    OMAHA    TO    DENVER.  37 

or  two,  perhaps  the  more  seclusive  and  aristocratic 
of  the  settlement,  whose  clannishness  forbade  them 
from  mingling  with  the  common  herd.  We  no- 
ticed a  number  of  ranches  as  we  neared  Denver, 
and  camping-out  parties  were  not  infrequent  along 
the  route  after  Colorado  was  reached.  Some  In- 
dians in  their  native  costume  were  to  be  seen  at  the 
stations,  and  one  little  fellow  in  our  car  called  to 
his  mama  to  come  to  the  window  and  look  at  "  a 
real  live  Indian." 

After  a  most  delightful  and  thoroughly  comfort- 
able ride  of  569  miles  from  Omaha,  and  1,062  miles 
from  Chicago,  Denver  is  reached  at  2.55  p.  m.  the 
next  day.  The  officials  of  the  Union  Pacific  spare 
no  pains  in  administering  to  the  comfort  of  those 
traveling  over  their  road;  and  one  meets  with  the 
most  polite  service  at  the  hands  of  the  employees, 
from  conductor  to  porter,  all  of  whom  are  ever 
ready  to  give  desired  information,  or  assist  the  in- 
quisitive  tourist,  who  is  "taking  notes"  en  route. 
Union  Depot  is  the  one  depot  in  Denver,  and  is  a 
very  handsome  and  imposing  structure  of  granite. 
When  one  alights  from  the  train  here,  he  finds  him- 
self puffing  like  a  locomotive,  and  at  first  cannot  ac- 
count for  his  short  windedness.  When  he  stops  to 
think,  however,  that  he  is  at  an  altitude  of  5,170 
feet,  he  begins  to  take  in  the  situation,  and  endeav- 
ors to  grow  accustomed  to  the  air  breathed  at  this 


38  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

height.  Of  Denver,  we  shall  speak  again;  suffice 
it  to  say  just  here,  it  is  a  city  of  phenomenal  growth 
and  has  now  a  population  of  165,000. 

From  Denver,  the  Alpine  view  of  the  great 
Rocky  Mountain  chain,  extending  north  and  south 
for  200  miles,  with  Long's  Peak  to  the  north,  Pike's 
Peak  to  the  south,  and  the  dome  of  the  continent, 
Gray's  Peak,  in  the  centre,  is  indeed  most  exquisite. 
Supplement  this  picture  with  the  beautiful  buttes, 
foothills  and  the  rolling  prairies,  600  miles  wide  to 
the  eastward,  and  the  magnificent  landscape  is 
complete  in  all  its  grandeur  and  picturesqueness. 
At  Denver,  one  is  about  two-thirds  the  distance 
across  the  continent — a  long  way  from  home — and 
the  trip  has  been  made  without  accident  or  mishap 
of  any  kind,  save  an  occasional  wash  out  along  the 
road  here  and  there  (it  was  Monday,  wash  day,  you 
know).  With  the  greatest  ease  and  comfort  that 
modern  travel  affords,  we  made  the  trip,  glad  to 
reach  Denver,  "The  Queen  City  of  the  Plains," 
which,  viewed  from  the  health-seeker's  standpoint, 
is  his  Mecca,  and  the  atmosphere  of  which  is  the 
healing  fount  that  has  returned  hundreds  of  his 
kind  to  life  and  full  vitality. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

DENVER A    CITY    OF    PHENOMENAL   GROWTH.       INDUS- 
TRIAL DEVELOPMENT  AND  COMMERCIAL  ACTIVITY 
ITS    GROWTH    IN   THIRTY-FIVE    YEARS. 

There  is  so  much  to  be  said  of  Denver,  "  The 
Queen  City  of  the  Plains,"  one  hesitates  where  to 
begin.  Thirty-five  years  ago  but  a  prairie-village, 
to-day  Denver  numbers  165,000  inhabitants,  and  is 
noted  far  and  near  for  her  commercial  activity  and 
beauty  as  a  resident  city. 

Denver  can  boast  of  no  antiquity  beyond  Sep- 
tember and  October,  1859,  and  her  growth  since 
that  time  has  been  phenomenal.  When  we  think 
of  our  old  Maryland  and  Virginia  towns  that  date 
their  nativity  a  century  or  more  ago,  and  have  made 
little  progress  since,  we  blush  for  their  apathy  and 
self-satisfied  condition  when  we  behold  active,  pro- 
gressive, hustling,  bustling  Denver,  a  mere  youth 
in  number  of  years. 

Of  all  western  cities,  it  is  the  only  one  that  bids 
fair  to  wrest  from  San  Francisco  her  commercial 
supremacy.  Although  a  mere  insignificant  trad- 
ing-post long  after  San  Francisco  had  become  a 


4O  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

thriving  and  popular  seaport,  the  relative  progress 
of  Colorado's  metropolis  has  been  more  than  on  a 
par  with  that  of  the  city  of  the  Golden  Gate.  In 
1859,  Denver  consisted  merely  of  a  few  one-story 
dwellings,  mud-roofed  and  built  of  cottonwood 
logs,  fringing  the  bank  of  Cherry  creek  near  its  out- 
let into  the  Platte. 

There  was  not  a  pound  of  nails  in  the  entire  set- 
tlement, and  there  were  not  a  half-dozen  panes  of 
glass.  In  the  summer  months,  the  floors  were  of 
earth,  in  the  winter,  of  mud,  the  roofs  retaining  so 
much  water  that  the  saying  was,  "  it  rained  inside 
for  days  after  it  had  stopped  on  the  outside."  To- 
day, Denver  is  the  commercial  and  industrial  centre 
of  one  of  the  wealthiest  States  in  the  Union,  and  is 
an  important  railroad-centre,  with  numerous  over- 
land-lines passing  through  its  suburbs,  and  with 
branches  extending  to  all  the  principal  agricultural 
and  mining  districts.  Denver  is  situated  in  the  val- 
ley of  the  South  Platte,  12  miles  from  the  foothills 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  writer  smiles  when 
she  writes  "  foothills,"  for  coming  from  the  East, 
and  when  first  beholding  these  "  foothills,"  she  ex- 
claimed of  their  beauty  as  mountains,  and  was  some- 
what abashed  when  informed  "  these  are  not  moun- 
tains, they're  only  foothills." 

We  said,  "then  commend  us  to  some  of  your 
mountains,"  and  of  these  grand,  glorious  and  sub- 


DENVER  S    GROWTH.  41 

lime  towers  of  thousands  of  feet  of  rock,  we  shall 
speak  further  on.  But,  not  to  digress,  the  site 
of  the  city  of  Denver  is  neither  level  nor  hilly, 
but  pleasantly  diversified  with  rolling  and  un- 
dulating surface.  The  distance  from  the  moun- 
tains is  sufficient  to  give  a  fine  view  of  the  range, 
and  to  make  a  magnificent  landscape  without  paral- 
lel. The  range  is  seen  to  best  advantage  from  Old 
City  Cemetery,  east  of  Capitol  Hill,  the  highest  ele- 
vation in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  city,  at  the 
end  of  Eleventh  avenue.  Bayard  Taylor  said,  when 
visiting  Denver  in  1866,  that  from  this  hill  could  be 
had  one  of  the  finest  mountain-views  in  the  world. 
The  range  is  visible  for  200  miles.  Pike's  Peak,  70 
miles  to  the  south,  when  the  air  is  clear,  seems 
hardly  half  so  far,  and  Long's  Peak,  nearly  as  far 
to  the  northwest,  appears  at  times  but  a  brief  walk 
distant.  The  Laramie  Hills,  in  Wyoming,  termi- 
nate the  panorama  at  the  north,  while  Mount  Ev- 
ans, with  its  sweeping  slope,  and  lap  of  snow  and 
ice,  lifted  to  a  height  of  13,132  feet,  is  the  chief  sen- 
tinel in  the  western  sky.  The  mountains,  as  seen 
from  Denver,  are  a  lasting  source  of  pleasure,  and 
their  study,  one  of  increasing  interest. 

The  play  of  cloud  and  sunshine,  of  light  and 
shade,  during  the  varying  hours  of  day,  and  change 
of  seasons,  gives  the  beholder  the  most  enchanting 
visions  of  distant  scenery.  They  can  never  be  de- 


42  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

scribed;  only  observation  and  study  can  bring  to 
the  eye  and  soul,  the  wonderful  transformation  of 
this  mountain  range.  We  have  been  told,  to  see 
the  "  Rockies "  well  is  to  see  them  all  the  year 
round.  One  must  watch  their  velvety  green  slopes 
in  June,  and  their  many-colored  tints  in  October; 
the  bare  peaks  of  August  and  the  snowy  range  of 
January.  The  mountains  must  be  seen  in  the 
morning  and  studied  at  sunset;  one  must  watch 
them  in  summer,  and  observe  them  in  winter. 
They  are  scarcely  ever  twice  the  same  in  appear- 
ance. There  is  a  subtle  charm  about  the  city  of 
Denver  for  the  eastern  tourist.  One  comes  here 
to  stay  a  few  weeks,  but  puts  off  his  return  from 
time  to  time  until  he  finds  the  weeks  are  months, 
and  in  some  cases  the  months  are  years.  This  is 
particularly  true  of  the  young  man  from  the  East, 
who  delays  and  spends  his  money  in  mining  or  in 
ranching.  The  spell  is  upon  him,  the  charm  stops 
him  half  way;  he  puts  off  his  return  East  until  next 
year,  then  the  next,  until  at  last  he  buys  a  home, 
and  only  returns  East  for  the  bride  and  his  wed- 
ding-journey. 

Denver  appeals  to  the  man  from  the  East  more 
than  any  other  western  city,  for  the  reason  that  the 
eastern  folk  who  have  settled  here  are  turning  Den- 
ver into  a  thoroughly  eastern  city.  We  expected 
to  find  the  people  and  their  customs  so  different 


DENVER'S  GROWTH.  43 


from  those  at  home.  How  mistaken  we  were !  The 
same  hospitable,  congenial  folk  we  have  in  Mary- 
land live  here  in  Denver. 

They  look  and  act  the  same;  their  style  of  dress 
is  the  same.  What  queer  notions  one  does  get  of 
the  "  wild  and  woolly  West,"  before  one  actually 
comes  in  contact  with  it  and  its  people!  To 
us,  the  most  striking  things  about  the  city  of 
Denver  are  its  schools  and  its  residences.  In  east- 
ern cities,  great  corporations,  insurance  companies 
and  capitalists  erect  10-  and  1 2-story  sky-scrapers  in 
every  direction,  and  the  private  houses  tower  toward 
the  sky,  with  the  reminder  that  it  costs  nothing  to 
build  into  the  air.  Here,  in  Denver,  it  is  so  differ- 
ent !  There  are  not  only  big  and  handsome  build- 
ings— the  Mining  Exchange,  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, Brown  Palace  Hotel,  Denver  Athletic  Club, 
City  Hall,  Court  House,  Equitable  Building, 
McMurtrie  Block,  Union  Depot,  State  Capitol,  Ma- 
sonic Temple,  Kittredge  Building,  and  hosts  of 
others — but  there  are  miles  and  miles  of  separate 
houses  of  the  prettiest  architecture. 

It  is  such  a  pleasure  to  look  at  them,  no  two  join- 
ed as  in  the  monotonous-looking  Baltimore  blocks. 
They  are  not  merged  together  in  solid  rows,  but 
stand  apart  with  a  little  green  breathing  space  be- 
tween them,  each  in  its  turn  asserting  its  own  indi- 
viduality. You  look  at  them,  admire  and  are 


44  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

pleased,  and  it  is  difficult  to  decide  which  one  you 
would  rather  live  in.  The  greater  number  of  these 
beautiful  houses  are  built  of  a  peculiarly  handsome 
red  stone,  which  is  found  so  plentifully  in  the  Silver 
State.  It  is  not  the  red  stone  that  one  admires,  or 
which  makes  the  homes  so  pleasantly  conspicuous, 
but  the  taste  of  the  owner  or  the  architect,  which 
has  turned  it  to  account.  It  would  not  be  amiss  for 
the  eastern  architect  to  come  to  Denver  and  take 
lessons;  and  certainly  it  would  be  wise  if  some  of 
our  eastern  cities  would  adopt  this  "  parking " 
system,  of  grass-plot  and  lawn  about  their  homes, 
that  adds  to  the  beauty,  attractiveness  and  home- 
like appearance  of  all  the  private  houses  in  beauti- 
ful Denver,  "  Queen  City  of  the  Plains." 

But  what  of  the  public  schools?  They  are  more 
like  museums  of  art  than  school-houses.  We  found 
ourselves  asking  what  these  handsome  buildings 
are,  scattered  every  few  blocks  over  Denver. 
Imagine  our  surprise  when  told  they  are  schools. 
"Schools!!"  we  exclaimed,  "these  massive  build- 
ings of  stone,  granite,  red  brick,  with  marble  trim- 
mings, of  graceful  architecture,  unique  designs, 
broad,  velvety  lawns,  with  beds  of  flowers  and 
vines,  shade-trees  and  arbors?  It  cannot  be  pos- 
sible that  these  are  schools!"  But  it  is  possible; 
and  just  as  much  money  and  thought  are  propor- 
tionately given  to  the  instruction  of  the  public- 


DENVER  S    GROWTH.  45 

school  children  as  is  put  upon  the  school-buildings, 
for  the  Denver  children  of  the  public  schools  have 
every  advantage.  The  best  teachers  are  employed. 
Their  appointment  is  strictly  on  their  merit,  with 
the  most  rigid  of  examinations  annually  before  an 
examining  board.  We  must  not  forget  to  say  their 
pay  is  the  best,  for,  naturally,  good  teachers  com- 
mand and  demand  good  pay.  Few  teachers  in 
Denver  receive  less  than  $75  and  $80  per  month. 
Superintendents  receive  $1,800  and  $2,000  per  year. 
There  are  several  eastern  teachers  in  the  Denver 
schools.  One  lady  teacher,  in  popular  favor  here, 
is  from  the  Eastern  Shore  of  Maryland,  and  would 
not  think  of  wasting  her  time  and  energy  in  the  dis- 
charge of  her  professional  duties,  East,  for  the 
meagre  salary  Maryland  pays  its  teachers,  when 
Colorado  thinks  the  laborer  worthy  of  his  hire. 

There  are  47  schools  in  Denver;  four  high 
schools — the  East,  West,  North,  and  South  Denver 
High  Schools;  25  public  kindergartens,  and  several 
Normal  Training  schools.  The  schools  all  have 
names,  some  of  which  are,  The  Whittier,  Longfel- 
low, Gilpin,  Hyde  Park,  Ebert,  Carona,  Wyman, 
Swansea,  Columbine  (after  the  Colorado  State  flow- 
er), Emerson,  Broadway,  Maria  Mitchell,  Edison, 
Webster,  Louisa  M.  Alcott  School,  Garfield,  Lin- 
coln, Logan,  Franklin,  and  many  others.  The  teach- 
ers are  too  numerous  to  count.  In  the  East  Denver 


46  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

High  School,  alone,  there  are  27  teachers.  When 
we  think  of  the  overcrowded  condition  of  our  home 
school,  and  the  lack  of  sufficient  teachers,  and  see 
these  schools  in  plenty  here,  with  all  the  latest  de- 
vices and  equipments  for  education,  with  an  abun- 
dance of  room,  and  enough  teachers,  we  commiser- 
ate Annapolis,  and  say  a  la  Horace  Greely,  "  Come 
West "  young  mother  and  father,  with  a  family  to 
educate,  "  Come  West."  You'll  not  be  crowded 
out  here,  and  you'll  get  more  than  your  money's 
worth  of  education,  along  with  all  the  rest  of  the 
delightful  things  Colorado  affords.  So,  you  see, 
with  all  the  school  advantages,  the  children  of  Den- 
ver threaten  to  grow  up  into  a  most  superior  class 
of  young  persons.  Denver  possesses  lots  of  other 
delightful  things  that  make  a  city  livable,  but  to 
us,  the  public  schools  and  private  houses  are  the 
most  distinctive  features.  There  are  many  sights 
to  be  seen  here  (of  these  we  shall  speak  later),  but  it 
is  well  for  one  to  remember,  while  seeing  these 
sights,  that  only  a  little  more  than  a  generation  ago 
there  was  nothing  where  Denver  now  stands  but 
cactus,  buffalo-grass,  wild  animals  and  the  red  man. 
The  foot  of  civilization  had  not  then  pressed  the 
arid  soil,  nor  had  the  magic  hand  of  human  genius 
been  laid  on  a  single  thing,  living  or  inert.  In  its 
rapid  growth,  amid  search  for  silver  and  gold,  ad- 
venture and  health,  the  people  here  have  taken  little 


DENVER  S    GROWTH.  47 

time  to  create  things  of  interest  for  the  traveler,  and 
he  sees  nothing  to  astonish  him  more  than  the  city 
itself.  That  he  should  find,  600  miles  west  of  the 
Missouri  river,  beyond  the  "  Great  American  Des- 
ert," a  city  of  165,000  inhabitants,  a  city  with  300 
miles  of  rapid  transit,  a  city  of  such  beautiful  homes 
and  public  and  business  buildings  as  meet  his  gaze 
at  every  turn,  is  sufficient  to  amaze  the  thoughtful 
tourist.  The  work  of  the  magician,  who,  by  the 
magic  touch  of  his  wand,  causes  flowers  to  bloom 
from  an  empty  vase  before  your  eyes,  pales  before 
the  finer  and  more  magical  touch  of  civilization, 
which  has  caused  the  city  of  Denver  to  spring  up 
out  of  these  arid  plains,  with  so  many  miles  of 
beautiful  streets,  shaded  by  grateful  foliage  lining 
these  sidewalks  on  every  hand,  these  churches  and 
schools,  these  banks  and  wealthy  corporations, 
these  palaces  of  business  and  public  buildings,  these 
lofty  theatres  and  commanding  structures,  in  pro- 
cess of  erection.  Denver,  in  all  that  it  is,  and  all 
that  it  promises  to  be,  is  more  wonderful  than 
mountain  or  canon.  These  were  natural ;  it  is  pre- 
ternatural. Denver's  parks  and  gardens,  while 
beautiful,  are  yet  in  embryo;  its  public  libraries  and 
museums  are  in  incubation;  its  Sutros  and  Licks 
and  Leland  Standfords  and  Enoch  Pratts  are  still 
busy  amassing  their  wealth,  but  their  latent  munifi- 
cence and  benefactions  will  yet  develop  with  a  mag- 


48  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

nificence  so  lavish  as  to  amaze  the  visitor,  in  future 
years,  to  this  western  metropolis.  And  this  is 
Denver!  Forty  years  ago,  nothing;  to-day,  a 
model,  modern  city  of  165,000  people.  The  first 
10  years,  a  struggle  for  existence;  the  second,  rec- 
ognition and  candidacy  for  future  greatness.  The 
third  decade,  railroad  building  and  marvelous  in- 
dustrial development.  The  end  of  the  forty,  proof- 
positive  of  vital  powers,  unconquerable  by  drought, 
famine  or  panic.  The  fourth  decade,  a  period  of 
growth  and  advancement  despite  commercial  de- 
pression. 

One,  coming  to  Denver  for  the  first  time,  cannot 
but  be  impressed  with  the  brightness  and  newness 
of  everything.  Business  blocks,  residences,  parks, 
public  buildings — all  have  a  freshness  that  is  attrac- 
tive from  the  start.  From  a  distance,  upon  the 
plains,  may  be  seen  spires  and  domes  that  proclaim 
Denver's  architectural  importance.  On  a  near  ap- 
proach, factories,  smelters  and  business  blocks  loom 
up  and  speak  eloquently  of  the  beauty  and  commer- 
cial stability  of  fair  Denver,  "  Queen  City  of  the 
Plains." 


CHAPTER  V. 

DENVER'S  PUBLIC  BUILDINGS — HANDSOME  AND  COSTLY 

STRUCTURES THE  ELEGANT  STATE  CAPITOL — 

ITS  HISTORY,  RELICS,  AND  CURIOS 

WOMEN  POLITICIANS. 

Denver  has  numerous  handsome  and  costly  pub- 
lic buildings.  Prominent  among  these  is  the  State 
Capitol,  which  occupies  fifteen  acres,  at  the  brow 
of  Capitol  Hill.  The  building  is  of  Colorado  gran- 
ite, finished  on  the  interior  with  marble  trimmings. 
It  was  begun  in  1887,  and  was  occupied  for  the  first 
time  in  1895. 

When  completed  it  cost  $2,550,000.  The 
grounds  were  presented  to  the  State  by  Henry  C. 
Brown,  one  of  Denver's  pioneers.  Colorado  is 
justly  proud  of  her  State  Capitol  building,  since  it 
is  constructed  of  her  own  granite  (from  the  famous 
Gunnison  quarries),  which  is  unsurpassed  for 
beauty  and  uniformity  of  color  by  any  in  America. 
The  site  is  most  commanding,  being  a  mile  above 
the  sea-level,  and  occupying  three  entire  squares. 
The  view  of  the  city  of  Denver  and  the  mountain 
range,  extending  for  125  miles,  from  the  dome  of 
4 


5O  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

the  Capitol,  is,  perhaps,  the  grandest  of  anything  in 
the  country.  The  building  occupied  six  years  in 
construction.  The  architect  was  Mr.  Meyers,  of 
New  York,  and  the  architecture  is  what  is  known 
as  composite  renaissance. 

It  took  us  three  hours  to  go  through  the  Capitol. 
The  interior  is  not  yet  completed.  At  the  last  ses- 
sion of  the  Legislature,  an  appropriation  sufficient 
for  the  completion  of  the  work,  was  made,  and 
everything  is  expected  to  be  intact  by  the  next  ses- 
sion, 1901.  The  Capitol  grounds  are  in  the  shape 
of  an  oblong  parallelogram,  which  shape  has  Ma- 
sonic significance.  The  size  of  the  building  is  294.4 
by  383.11  feet,  and  it  extends  383  feet  north  and 
south  and  313  feet  east  and  west,  and  is  256  feet 
from  basement-floor  to  top  of  the  dome.  There 
are  160  rooms  in  the  building.  On  the  corner-stone 
is  engraved  the  following :  "  Erected  by  the  fourth 
and  seventh  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Colo- 
rado, approved,  February  nth,  1883,  and  April  ist, 
1889.  Board  of  Capitol  Managers,  Job  A.  Cooper, 
Governor,  John  L.  Routt,  Otto  Mears,  Charles  J. 
Hughes,  Benj.  F.  Crowell,  E.  E.  Meyers,  archi- 
tect; Peter  Gumry,  superintendent."  This  last- 
named  gentleman  was  the  owner  of  the  hotel  which 
was  blown  up  by  an  engine  running  some  of  the 
hotel  machinery  when  hundreds  of  people  were 
killed — a  disaster  not  soon  to  be  forgotten  in  Den- 
ver. 


DENVER'S  PUBLIC  BUILDINGS.  51 

The  exterior  of  the  Capitol  is  not  unlike  the  Bal- 
timore postoffice,  except  that  it  is  surmounted  with 
a  dome,  rather  too  large  in  circumference  at  the 
base  for  the  height.  A  statue  or  ornament  of  some 
sort  at  the  apex  of  the  dome  would  greatly  beautify 
its  appearance.  The  main  entrance  is  on  Broad- 
way, and  the  approach  is  through  beautiful 
grounds,  well  kept,  and  through  a  gradual  incline 
leading  to  the  magnificent  doorway.  This  is  sup- 
ported by  massive  granite  columns,  above  which  is 
cut  in  the  stone  an  array  of  figures  suggestive  of 
Colorado's  advantages  in  the  way  of  agriculture, 
mining,  and  so  forth.  Conspicuous  by  its  absence, 
and  refreshing  to  the  eastern  tourist  is  that  bete 
noir  of  signs  "  keep  off  the  grass."  No  such  sign 
is  visible;  and  yet,  the  grass  is  the  most  beautiful 
stretch  of  lawn  one  ever  saw  anywhere,  as  green  and 
well  kept  as  one  could  wish,  even  though  the  chil- 
dren are  allowed  to  play  on  it  to  their  hearts'  con- 
tent. Colorado  children,  unlike  their  eastern  cous- 
ins, do  not  wonder  if  there  are  any  signs  in  Heaven 
"  keep  off  the  grass."  At  the  main  entrance,  near 
the  street,  is  a  tall  flag  pole,  recently  erected  by 
the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution,  in  honor  of 
the  Colorado  volunteers,  who  served  their  country 
in  the  late  unpleasantness  with  Spain.  On  the  pole, 
are  brass  tablets  inscribed  with  the  names  of  those 
who  died  in  the  service,  the  date  and  place  of  death 


52  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

of  each.  The  idea  is  a  happy  one.  Since  the  re- 
turn of  the  First  Colorado  Volunteers,  memorial 
service  has  been  held  about  this  pole,  when  5,000 
people  were  present. 

On  entering  the  rotunda,  the  visitor  is  struck  by 
the  unfinished  condition  of  things.  There  is  a 
blank  space  of  mortar  at  the  base  of  all  the  pillars. 
It  is  said,  one  reason  for  not  completing  the  work 
is  due  to  a  misunderstanding  about  the  kind  of  ma- 
terial to  be  used.  The  rotunda  is  very  handsome, 
and  the  marble  trimmings  and  brass  finishings  have 
a  pleasing  and  artistic  effect.  The  visitor  usually 
begins  with  the  basement,  and  works  his  way  to  the 
dome.  Here,  in  the  basement,  there  is  so  much  to 
be  seen,  one  cxnild  spend  several  days  profitably 
"  looking  round."  The  G.  A.  R.  room  contains 
many  curios  of  interest.  Among  these,  at  the  en- 
trance are  two  1 2-pound  Howitzers,  surrendered  by 
Gen.  Twiggs,  U.  S.  A.,  to  Gen.  McCullough,  at 
San  Antonio,  Texas,  February,  1861.  These  guns 
were  buried  by  Gen.  Gibber  at  Albuquerque,  New 
Mexico,  in  April,  1862,  after  the  defeat  of  the  Con- 
federate forces  at  the  battle  of  Glaretta.  They  were 
recovered,  in  1890,  and  presented  to  the  State  of 
Colorado,  having  been  buried  for  over  30  years. 
In  the  "  War  Relic  "  room  is  Kit  Carson's  rifle,  con- 
taining 36  brass  nails — one  for  every  Indian  killed. 
Here  is  also  a  flint-lock  gun,  given  by  France,  to 


DENVER  S    PUBLIC    BUILDINGS.  53 

Gen.  LaFayette  in  1772.  There  are  other  flint-lock 
guns  here,  one  used  in  the  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill, 
and  one  in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  after- 
ward in  the  Revolution.  There  is  a  sword  here 
captured  from  a  British  officer  at  the  Battle  of  Sara- 
toga, and  one  carried  by  a  Continental  officer  dur- 
ing the  Revolution.  In  the  "  War  Relic "  room 
there  is  also  a  flag  taken  by  the  South  Carolina 
forces  at  Fort  Sumter,  on  April  I4th,  1861;  a  war 
medicine-chest  that  went  with  Sherman's  army  to 
the  sea;  uniforms  of  men  of  note  in  those  times  that 
tried  men's  souls;  photographs  and  autographs  of 
Gen.  R.  E.  Lee,  and  curios  of  all  sorts  and  descrip- 
tions which  interest  those  who  have  a  soft  spot  in 
their  hearts  for  the  has  beens. 

Another  room  in  the  basement  of  the  Capitol  is 
set  apart  by  the  Horticultural  Society.  Here,  we 
saw,  in  alcohol,  the  finest  specimens  of  Colorado 
fruits,  exhibits  of  recent  State  fairs;'  cereals  for 
which  this  State  is  noted;  native  bugs,  butterflies, 
et  cetera,  together  with  specimens  of  flora  of  Colo- 
rado, the  fame  of  which  is  broadcast.  In  this  de- 
partment, are  to  be  seen  two  handsomely  mounted 
coats  of  arms  of  the  State.  These  consist  of  a  Ma- 
sonic compass,  in  which  the  "All-Seeing  Eye"  is 
represented.  Beneath  this,  is  a  battle-axe;  then,  a 
shield,  the  upper  portion  of  which,  pictures  the 
beautiful  mountains  of  the  State,  to  the  base  of 


54  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

this  are  suggestively  appended  a  pick  and  ham- 
mer, such  as  are  used  in  mining.  Beneath  all  is  the 
State's  motto,  Nil  Sine  Numine  (Nothing  without 
God),  and  the  year  Colorado,  the  "  Centennial 
State/'  was  admitted,  1876. 

Another  room  of  interest  is  the  State  Historical 
room.  This  is  devoted  to  a  sort  of  zoological  dis- 
play of  Colorado's  native  animals,  handsomely 
mounted.  To  gaze  upon  the  number  of  cases  of 
birds,  no  two  alike,  one  can  scarcely  realize  that 
these  different  species  belong  to  this  one  State.  In 
an  anti-room,  is  a  primitive-looking  Mexican  cart, 
clumsily  put  together,  and  awkward  in  appearance. 
In  this  department  is  also  to  be  seen  one  of  the 
handsomest  of  saddles,  the  property  of  Col.  J.  H. 
Leavenworth,  for  whom  the  city  of  that  name  is 
christened.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Second  Regi- 
ment, Colorado  Volunteers  in  1862.  The  saddle  is 
of  a  most  unique  pattern,  silver  and  gold  mounted, 
and  is  an  attractive  feature  of  this  department. 

There  are  at  this  season  (September)  thousands 
of  tourists  in  Denver,  and  the  statement  was  made 
in  one  of  the  morning  papers,  at  this  time,  that 
there  were  3,000  visitors  daily  to  the  State  Capitol. 
Perhaps  one  of  the  most  interesting  departments  of 
the  building  is  the  Bureau  of  Mines.  In  these  rooms 
is  displayed  the  wealth  of  Colorado's  minerals, 
most  of  the  specimens  having  been  gathered  from 


DENVER  S    PUBLIC    BUILDINGS.  55 

North  Table  Mountain  and  Golden.  There  are 
also  specimens  from  several  of  the  counties,  includ- 
ing Gilpin,  El  Paso,  Gunnison,  San  Juan  and  oth- 
ers. Above  the  huge  cases  of  mineral  productions 
from  these  counties  are  large  oil-paintings,  repre- 
senting the  wealth  of  vegetation  and  beauty,  for 
which  each  county  is  noted. 

In  the  Bureau  of  Mines  is  to  be  seen  the  "  Colo- 
rado Mineral  Casket,"  an  exquisite  piece  of  work- 
manship of  silver,  gold  and  copper,  and  decorated 
with  Colorado  gems,  among  which  are  the  garnet, 
topaz,  turquoise,  crystal  and  moon-stone — the 
whole  being  illuminated  with  tiny  incandescent 
lamps.  The  casket  was  in  the  Woman's  Building 
at  the  World's  Fair.  There  are  two  collections  of 
minerals,  one  arranged  in  flat  cases,  the  other  in 
upright  cases.  Those  in  flat  cases  are  arranged  for 
scientific  purposes,  and  are  collections  made  and 
classified  on  the  Diana  authority  on  mineralogy. 
In  the  upper  cases,  the  ores  of  the  various  counties 
are  displayed.  In  one  of  these  is  a  silver  nugget 
from  "  Mollie  Gibson "  mine,  Aspen,  Colorado, 
which  weighs  397  pounds  and  is  90  per  cent  pure 
silver,  and  when  coined  will  make  8,512  silver  dol- 
lars. In  another  department  on  the  ground  floor 
of  the  Capitol  are  to  be  seen  pictures  of  the  "  Cliff 
Dwellers,"  models  of  their  caves  in  the  rocks  and 
cliffs,  their  implements  of  warfare,  their  cooking 


56  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

utensils  and  the  Cliff  Dwellers  themselves,  pre- 
served as  they  have  been  these  hundreds  of  years — 
the  art  of  which  preservation  is  lost;  and  we,  of 
modern  times,  have  not  succeeded  in  regaining  it. 
These  mummies  of  the  Cliff  Dwellers  are  in  a  good 
state  of  preservation,  and  are  of  men,  women  and 
children,  and  even  infants.  The  outer  covering 
of  some  of  these  mummies  is  a  downy  coat  of  feath- 
ers. They  were  all  taken  from  the  ruins  of  Mancos 
Canon,  Colorado.  After  leaving  the  basement  of 
the  Capitol,  one  takes  the  elevator  for  the  main 
floor.  Here,  are  located  the  two  Houses — the  Sen- 
ate and  General  Assembly — together  with  the 
Court  of  Appeals,  offices,  et  cetera.  Both  houses 
are  elegantly,  though  simply  fitted  out.  There  are 
no  "  overdone "  decorations  or  hangings,  but 
everything  presents  a  freshly  painted  and  attractive 
appearance. 

There  are  65  representatives  in  the  General  As- 
sembly of  Colorado,  and  35  Senators,  making  the 
sum  total  of  100  on  joint  ballot.  Arapahoe  county, 
in  which  Denver  is  located,  contains  one-third  of 
the  population  of  the  State,  and  therefore  is  en- 
titled to  one-third  of  the  representatives  in  the 
Legislature.  The  Legislature,  like  that  of  Mary- 
land, convenes  once  in  two  years,  on  the  4th  of 
January,  and  until  the  3rd  of  April,  covering  a 
period  of  90  days.  The  next  regular  session 


DENVER  S    PUBLIC    BUILDINGS.  57 

meets  in  1901,  but  the  Governor  has  recently 
called  an  extra  session  for  this  year  (1899)  to 
consider  some  questions  of  State  importance. 
Women  vote  in  Colorado,  hold  office  and  are 
eligible  to  the  Legislature.  At  the  last  session 
there  were  three  women  delegates  in  the  House. 
There  has  never  been  a  woman  Senator,  and  in  all 
probability  there  never  will  be,  although  it  is  pos- 
sible that  some  day  Colorado  may  have  a  woman 
for  governor.  The  education  of  the  western  people 
tends  to  universal  suffrage,  the  bulk  of  the  argu- 
ment in  favor  of  which  is,  that  women  are  property- 
holders,  and  therefore  have  a  right  to  "  a  say  "  in 
the  government  of  State  and  municipal  affairs. 
There  are,  however,  two  sides  to  this,  as  to  all  other 
questions.  Women  will  be  all  right  in  politics  if 
good  women  of  the  State  take  an  interest  and  vote 
intelligently,  but  if  the  bad  women  of  the  opposite 
class  take  a  hand  in  political  affairs  (and  they  have 
as  much  right  to  vote  as  the  better  class)  they  may 
be  hired  by  the  political  wire-puller,  as  well  as  the 
ward-heeler  of  the  male  sex.  If  this  be  true,  wo- 
man's influence  for  the  benefit  and  purification  of 
politics  will  become  null  and  void. 

The  House  and  Senate  are  similar  in  design  and 
construction,  decorations  and  fixtures,  but  the 
House  is  two-fifths  larger  than  the  Senate.  The 
decorations  in  both  are  in  shrimp  pink  and  gilt,  giv- 


58  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

ing  a  mellow  glow  to  the  whole  effect.  The  presi- 
dent of  the  last  Senate  was  Lieutenant-Governor 
Francis  Carney.  The  Speaker  of  the  House  was 
Ex-Lieutenant-Governor  Smith.  At  the  last  ses- 
sion of  the  Legislature  here,  William  Jennings 
Bryan,  the  16  to  i  presidential  candidate,  was  in- 
vited to  address  a  joint  session  of  the  Senate  and 
House — something  a  little  unusual  in  the  ordinary 
regime  of  legislative  bodies.  There  were  a  number 
of  Baltimore  tourists  in  Denver  last  winter,  during 
the  session  of  the  Legislature.  They  naturally  vis- 
ited the  State  Capitol,  the  Senate  and  House. 
Previous  to  their  visit  to  the  House,  Speaker 
Smith  vacated  the  chair,  and  delegated  one  of  the 
lady  members  of  that  honorable  body  as  Speaker 
pro  tern.  The  Baltimore  party,  among  whom  were 
several  ladies,  found,  therefore,  a  woman  acting  as 
Speaker  of  the  House.  This  pleased  them  im- 
mensely, and  they  carried  away  with  them  to  their 
eastern  metropolis  pleasant  memories  of  the  im- 
portance of  their  sex  in  the  political  arena  of  Colo- 
rado. 

We  visited  the  dome  of  the  Capitol,  from  which 
a  fine  view  of  the  city  and  mountains  can  be  had. 
Perhaps  the  climax  of  the  occasion  was  our  intro- 
duction to  the  Governor,  rather  unique,  to  say  the 
least.  Descending  the  Capitol  steps,  we  asked  one 
of  our  party  the  name  of  the  Governor  of  Colorado. 


DENVER  S    PUBLIC    BUILDINGS.  59 

Two  gentlemen  were  directly  behind  us,  and  before 
our  friend  had  time  to  reply,  one  of  these  remarked, 
"  His  name  is  Governor  Charles  S.  Thomas,  and 
this  is  he  (pointing  to  a  gentleman  beside  him),  you 
may  have  a  good  look  at  him."  Of  course  we 
turned,  " looked"  and  bowed,  murmuring  some- 
thing about  being  glad  to  meet  Colorado's  Gover- 
nor, and  also  saying  we  were  from  Maryland,  and 
had  the  pleasure  of  knowing  our  popular  Governor, 
Lloyd  Lowndes — who,  by  the  way,  is  not  unlike 
Governor  Thomas  in  appearance  and  carriage.  The 
Governor  bowed  graciously  and  passed  on  with  his 
friend,  who  had  been  the  occasion  of  the  novel  in- 
troduction, and  whom  we  learned  was  Mr.  A.  H. 
Stevenson,  a  well-known  Colorado  politician.  And 
we  thought,  meeting  the  Governor  was  not  an  un- 
fitting ending  to  the  delightful  visit  to  Colorado's 
handsome  State  Capitol. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

DENVER'S    POSTOFFICE,    CITY    HALL,    COURT    HOUSE, 
CLUBS  AND  MANY  OTHER  HANDSOME  STRUC- 
TURES BESIDE  THE  STATE  CAPITOL — 

REMINDERS  OF  HOME NOTES 

AND  INCIDENTS. 

There  are  many  other  costly  and  handsome 
buildings  in  Denver  beside  its  Capitol.  The  United 
States  Postoffice  and  Federal  Court  House  is  lo- 
cated at  the  corner  of  Sixteenth  and  Arapahoe 
streets.  Its  architecture  is  that  usual  to  most  Fed- 
eral buildings.  It  is  constructed  of  lava  stone,  and 
was  completed  in  1892.  It  cost  $500,000.  The 
postoffice  is  rather  too  small  now  for  the  business 
done  here  at  present.  It  is  well  equipped,  how- 
ever, and  systematically  conducted.  Here  we  see 
boxes  marked  "  Eastern  Mail,"  "  Southern  Mail," 
and  so  forth,  and  so  forth. 

The  most  interesting  thing  in  the  postoffice,  to 
us,  was  the  machine  for  stamping  letters  with  the 
date  of  arrival,  or  date  of  leaving  the  postoffice,  as 
the  case  may  be.  The  machine  is  regulated  by 
one  man,  and  stamps  1,000  envelopes  per  minute. 


DENVER'S  HANDSOME  STRUCTURES.          61 

The  Arapahoe  County  Court  House  is  an  imposing 
building  with  spacious  well-kept  grounds,  and 
stands  at  the  corner  of  Tremont  and  Sixteenth 
streets.  It  is  built  of  Colorado  sandstone,  and  cost 
with  the  grounds,  $1,200,000.  What  would  An- 
napolis think  of  expending  such  a  sum  on  its  Court 
House,  even  though  its  population  equaled  that  of 
Denver?  The  City  Hall — the  municipal  headquar- 
ters— is  situated  at  Fourteenth  and  Larimer  streets. 
It  is  built  of  undressed  limestone,  at  a  cost  of  $225,- 

000. 

The  Chamber  of  Commerce  Building  is  at  the 
corner  of  Fourteenth  and  Lawrence  streets.  It  is 
built  of  undressed  lava  stone  with  red  sandstone 
trimmings,  and  cost  $200,000.  In  this  building  are 
the  city  library  and  public  reading-rooms.  There 
are  31,000  volumes  in  the  library  here.  The  Union 
Exchange,  somewhat  in  the  nature  of  a  public 
building,  is  the  handsome  eight-story  structure  at 
Arapahoe  and  Fifteenth  streets.  It  is  the  home  of 
the  mining-stock  market  in  Denver.  It  was  com- 
pleted in  1890,  and  cost,  with  grounds,  $400,000. 
The  material  is  red  pressed  brick,  sandstone  and 
terra  cotta  trimmings.  Next  to  the  public  build- 
ings, Denver's  business  blocks  are  most  impressive. 
While  not  distinguished  for  "sky-scraping"  or 
"  rookery "  blocks,  there  are  several  eight-  and 
nine-story  buildings,  some  of  which  have  been  in- 


62  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

eluded  in  magazine  articles  as  among  the  large  and 
attractive  buildings  of  the  country. 

The  Equitable  Building  leads.  It  is  nine  stories 
high,  of  white  tile-brick  and  granite,  with  elabor- 
ately carved  decorations,  and  cost  $1,400,000.  The 
Boston  Block  at  Seventeenth  and  Champa  streets 
is  of  dressed  brown  stone  and  cost  $425,000. 
Other  imposing  blocks  are  the  Ernest  &  Cranmer, 
McPhee  Building,  Jackson,  Kittredge,  McMurtrie, 
Masonic  Temple,  People's  Bank  and  Railroad 
Building;  the  last  two  partaking  of  the  nature  of 
"  sky-scrapers." 

The  social  side  of  life  is  highly  cultivated  and 
encouraged  in  the  "  Queen  City  of  the  Plains." 
In  looking  through  the  city  directory,  we  find 
there  are  more  than  one  hundred  active  social, 
literary,  musical  and  educational  clubs  in  ex- 
istence. These  do  not  include  church  or  semi- 
philanthropic  organizations.  Further  and  ample 
evidence  of  the  development  of  this  phase  of  life 
was  given  when  the  local  clubs  entertained  the  dele- 
gates to  the  National  Federation  of  Woman's  Clubs 
here  in  1898. 

The  club  buildings  are  equal  to  the  best  of  any 
city.  Among  these  we  might  mention  the  Denver 
Club,  a  massive  red-  and  lava-stone  structure, 
which  cost  $350,000;  the  Denver  Athletic  Club, 
which  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  country,  and  which 


DENVER'S  HANDSOME  STRUCTURES.          63 

has  a  membership  of  1,000.  The  building  and 
equipment  cost  $225,000.  Beside  these,  there  are 
the  University  Club,  the  Progress  Club  (Jewish), 
the  Woman's  Club,  and  others.  Denver  boasts  of 
one  of  the  best  hotels  in  the  United  States,  the 
Brown  Palace.  It  is  a  magnificent  building,  ten 
stories  high,  finished  off  in  onyx  on  the  office  floor, 
with  grand  mantle,  and  stairway  with  harmonious 
finishings  from  the  first  to  the  tenth  floor.  Its 
style  of  architecture  is  the  Italian  Renaissance,  its 
form  is  triangular,  having  a  frontage  of  810  feet  on 
the  three  avenues,  and  it  is  constructed  of  beautiful 
Arizona  brown  sandstone. 

Denver,  like  Baltimore,  is  also  a  church  city. 
There  are  121  church  organizations  in  the  city. 
Almost  every  denomination  extant  in  the  country 
is  here  represented.  Besides  Swedish  churches, 
there  are  several  bodies  in  which  sermons  are  deliv- 
ered in  foreign  languages.  One  encouraging  feat- 
ure of  church  life  in  Denver  is  the  large  number  of 
small  churches,  well  distributed  over  the  city.  No 
one  need  to  go  far  to  find  a  congenial  house  of  wor- 
ship. A  new  rule  for  the  construction  of  these 
churches  is  that  they  be  provided  with  cutlery  and 
other  equipment  for  church  banquets,  socials,  and 
the  like. 

Denver  has  several  finely  equipped  and  up-to- 
date  hospitals,  elegant  theatres  and  summer-gar- 


64  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

den  operas,  among  which  latter  is  the  famous 
Elitch's  Gardens.  City  Park  is  Denver's  most 
prominent  park,  although  there  are  several  here. 
This  one  is  at  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  city, 
and  contains  320  acres.  It  is  highly  improved, 
having  speed-tracks,  bicycle-course,  green-house, 
lakes,  zoological  garden,  pleasant  driveways,  hand- 
some statuary  and  a  handsome  and  unique  arrange- 
ment of  flowers  in  various  designs  and  coloring. 
Public  concerts  are  given  here  in  summer  and  early 
fall,  and  oftentimes  excellent  entertainments. 

Denver  has  five  national  banks,  one  large  trust 
and  deposit  company,  four  private  banks,  six  sav- 
ings banks  and  twenty-six  building  and  loan  asso- 
ciations. 

Outside  of  Washington,  no  city  can  boast  of  a 
brighter,  cleaner  appearance  than  Denver.  The 
police  and  municipal  regulations  are  of  exceptional 
merit.  The  streets  are  paved  with  asphalt,  and 
with  constant  sweeping  and  occasional  washing,  are 
kept  in  a  cleanly  condition.  Electric  lighting  ex- 
tends into  the  remotest  suburbs. 

The  excellence  of  the  street-car  service  is  evi- 
denced by  the  capacity  for  handling  large  crowds 
speedily  and  safely.  50,000  people  are  often  car- 
ried and  deposited  at  City  Park  each  hour. 

The  fire  departments  are  splendid  in  equipment 
and  discipline,  and  with  all  these,  together  with 


DENVER'S  HANDSOME  STRUCTURES.          65 

good  water,  Denver  can  answer  all  the  require- 
ments of  a  modern  and  a  model  city. 

Beside  being  a  good  place  in  which  to  live,  Den- 
ver has  exceptional  commercial  opportunities.  Her 
geographical  position  argues  well  for  her  commer- 
cial powers  for  all  time  to  come.  Some  one  has 
said  the  four  great  cities  of  the  continent  are  New 
York,  Chicago,  Denver  and  San  Francisco.  This 
city  does  a  jobbing  business  of  $50,000,000  a  year; 
its  bank  clearings  average  $140,000,000  annually; 
manufacturers,  $20,000,000  annually.  It  has  three 
smelters,  the  operations  of  which  extend  into  every 
ore-producing  district  from  Old  Mexico  to  British 
Columbia.  Recognizing  the  fact  that  Denver  is 
the  eastern  gateway  of  the  great  gold-producing 
districts  of  Colorado  and  the  whole  Rocky  Moun- 
tain region,  the  United  States  government  is  now 
building  here  a  coinage  mint,  to  cost  $500,000,  and 
which  will  furnish  local  employment  to  a  large 
number  of  people.  The  new  coinage  mint  will  in- 
evitably be  a  Government  Sub-Treasury,  and  will, 
in  all  probability,  result  in  Denver  having  a  dis- 
bursing office  of  pensions. 

Such  a  coinage  mint  must  necessarily,  have  a 
very  marked  effect  on  Denver  as  a  financial  centre. 
Denver  stands  unrivaled  in  either  hemisphere  for  its 
combination  of  advantages  as  a  place  of  residence, 
as  a  field  for  investment,  as  a  place  of  unusually 
5 


66  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

rapid  but  solid  growth,  as  a  smelting  centre,  as  a 
city  with  unlimited  and  varied  undeveloped  re- 
sources at  its  back,  as  an  increasing  manufacturing- 
centre,  as  a  cosmopolitan,  energetic  and  enterpris- 
ing community;  while  its  past  history,  present  po- 
sition and  certain  future  prospects  undoubtedly  des- 
tine it  to  eventually  be  one  of  the  four  great  cities 
of  the  United  States. 

The  world  is  not  so  large  after  all.  To  our  great 
surprise  and  pleasure,  while  making  a  call  in  Den- 
ver, we  saw  a  pencil-sketch  in  the  library  of  one  of 
Denver's  prominent  residents,  which  attracted  our 
attention.  On  close  inspection  it  proved  to  be  a 
drawing  of  "  Larkins'  Hill  "  the  residence  of  James 
Boyle,  Esq.,  of  Anne  Arundel  county,  Maryland, 
drawn  by  Seaton  O'Donoho,  August  25th,  1869. 
We  felt  as  if  we  should  like  to  embrace  that  pencil- 
sketch,  as  it  was  the  first  Maryland  object  we  had 
seen  since  saying  good-bye  to  Annapolis. 

One  unique  arrangement,  of  which  every  tourist 
takes  advantage  in  Denver,  is  the  "  Seeing  Denver 
and  Learning  Colorado  "  car.  This  is  a  privileged 
car  and  runs  on  all  the  lines,  making  no  stops  but 
at  the  hotel  corners  advertised  to  take  on  passen- 
gers. For  25  cents  one  gets  a  two-hours  ride;  and 
the  guide  on  the  car  points  out  and  explains  all  ob- 
jects of  interest  and  prominence  in  the  city.  The 
idea  is  a  happy  one  for  tourists  passing  through  the 


DENVER'S  HANDSOME  STRUCTURES.          67 

city,  with  only  a  few  hours  to  spare  for  train-con- 
nection, and  its  advantage  is  appreciated.  The 
"  Seeing  Denver  "  car  is  always  crowded. 

Do  you  dislike  rain,  mud  and  the  accompanying 
unpleasantness?  Come  to  Denver.  Here,  the  sun 
shines  some  part  of  the  day,  356  days  out  of  every 
365.  We  were  in  Denver  two  months.  In  that 
time  it  rained  three  times  only,  and  an  umbrella 
was  of  little  use.  "  But,"  you  say,  "  what  about 
the  crops?  They  need  water!"  Yes,  they  do, 
and  they  get  it.  Irrigating  ditches  are  everywhere. 
People  out  here  let  nothing  stand  in  their  way 
toward  successful  accomplishment  of  their  best 
interests.  They  dig  ditches,  fill  them  with  water 
from  brooks  and  streams,  and  irrigate  their  land. 
It  is  work,  but  they  don't  mind  it.  Everybody 
works  and  seems  to  enjoy  it,  too. 

There  are  several  fine  breweries  here  in  Denver, 
which  the  average  sight-s.eer  takes  in  along  with  all 
the  rest.  One  of  these  is  the  Rocky  Mountain 
Brewery,  the  proprietor  of  which  is  P.  H.  Zang. 
The  brewing  of  beer  here  is  said  to  have  stirred  up 
more  excitement  than  Luther  did  at  the  Diet  of 
Worms.  We  saw  here  that  beer  is  fearfully  and 
wonderfully  made.  This  particular  brand  is  said  to 
be  the  acme  of  brewing  perfection,  and  makes  con- 
noisseurs, when  drinking  it,  long  for  a  rubber  neck 
as  long  as  a  section  of  a  garden  hose.  We  cannot 


68  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

vouch  for  this,  as  we,  individually  and  collectively, 
have  signed  the  pledge,  and  wear  the  white  rib- 
bon. However,  this  beer  is  said  to  represent  the 
complete  possibilities  of  malt,  money  and  brains. 

We  also  visited  the  famous  Kuner  canning  and 
pickling  factory — a  sight  well  worth  seeing.  All 
kinds  of  canned  goods  are  put  up  here;  and  the 
process  involved  is  interesting  and  instructive. 
There  are  150  employees  in  the  canning  and  60  in 
the  pickling  department.  Everything  used  is  made 
in  the  factory — even  the  boxes  in  which  the  cans 
are  packed.  One  man  makes  300  boxes  per  day. 
The  most  unique  arrangement  is  the  machine  that 
pastes  the  labels  on  the  cans.  How  much  there 
is  to  be  seen  and  learned,  one  does  not  realize  until 
one  gets  out  and  rubs  his  shoulders  against  the 
outside  world. 

Some  one  has  said,  "  As  we  journey  through  life, 
let  us  live  by  the  way/'  and  so  they  do.  here  in  Den- 
ver, "  Queen  City  of  the  Plains,"  the  Mecca  of  the 
health-seeker,  where  the  pure  light  air,  free  from 
disease  germs,  is  a  healing  fount  which  restores  him 
to  health  and  vitality. 


CLIFF-DWELLERS,   MANGOS  CANON. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


EARLY  HISTORY  AND  DEVELOPMENT — ITS  SCENERY 
EXCELS    THAT    OF    ALL    EUROPE. 

Colorado  has  been  properly  named.  It  is  a  word 
of  Spanish  origin  and  means  red  or  colored,  prob- 
ably because  of  the  red  or  ruddy-colored  sandstone 
prevalent  throughout  the  State.  Colorado  has  in- 
spired as  much  sentiment  as  any  of  the  older  States; 
and  Pike's  Peak  stands  in  poem,  picture  and  ro- 
mance as  well  as  Plymouth  Rock. 

There  is  reason,  after  all,  for  this.  The  story  of 
a  gold-camp,  with  its  dramatic  movement,  tragic 
tints  of  color,  and  episodes  of  humor  and  pathos, 
makes  strong  material  for  history;  and  the  narra- 
tive of  the  struggles  and  triumphs  of  those  pioneers, 
who  sat  down  before  the  mountain  walls  to  build  a 
State,  is  beyond  romance  and  partakes  of  the  he- 
roic. The  early  settlers  were  "  cliff-dwellers,"  and 
on  the  Rio  Mancos,  their  houses  may  still  be  seen. 
They  are  thought  to  be  the  descendants  of  the  an- 
cient Aztecs.  In  time,  the  cliff-dwellers  gave  way 
to  the  Mexicans,  leaving  no  history  of  themselves 


7O  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

save  these  swallow-like  homes  in  the  mountains  and 
cliffs. 

The  Spanish  were  the  next  to  invade  and  explore 
Colorado.  They  were  seekers  for  gold,  and  dream- 
ers of  wealth.  The  Spanish  and  the  Indians  pos- 
sessed the  country  and  married  and  intermarried 
and  swindled  and  traded  to  their  mutual  satisfac- 
tion. There  were  no  other  invaders  for  perhaps  a 
couple  of  centuries,  and  the  people  had  a  long  rest 
from  exploring  expeditions.  Colorado,  it  will  be 
remembered,  was  a  part  of  the  "  Louisiana  Pur- 
chase" in  1803,  and  three  years  later,  Captain  Ze- 
bulon  Pike,  while  exploring  the  valleys  of  Arkan- 
sas, coming  north,  discovered  the  famous  mountain 
peak  that  now  bears  his  name. 

Colorado,  alone,  equals  in  area  the  whole  of  New 
England  and  the  State  of  New  York  put  together, 
and  has  greater  and  more  varied  resources  than  any 
State  in  the  Union.  Colorado  has  been  aptly  term- 
ed "  The  Switzerland  of  America." 

The  Alps  have  long  since  become  the  synonym 
for  grandeur,  but  they  cannot  rival  these  grand  old 
Rockies,  with  their  sublime  magnificence.  Were 
the  glamour  of  romance  and  the  tendrils  of  tradi- 
tion cast  and  twined  about  the  Rockies,  as  they 
have  been  about  the  Alps,  or  were  the  Alpine 
heights  stripped  of  their  legendary  lore,  and  the 
magnificence  of  both  measured  with  unbiased  mind, 


TUNNEL  No.  3. 


THE    SWITZERLAND    OF    AMERICA.  71 

then  and  only  then,  could  a  just  comparison  be 
made.  Many  tourists  who  have  beheld  both  the 
Alps,  and  the  Rockies  of  Colorado,  assured  us  that 
the  variety  of  scenery  and  grandeur  of  our  own 
home  mountains,  surpassed  that  of  Switzerland. 
We,  therefore,  commiserate  those  of  our  country- 
men and  women  who  go  abroad  for  scenery,  with- 
out having  beheld  the  grandeur  of  Colorado — the 
land  of  color,  the  land  of  fame,  the  land  of  startling 
variety.  Monotony,  here,  is  an  unknown  quantity; 
beauty  is  present  everywhere;  while  grandeur 
greets  the  reverent  eyes  of  all  who  traverse  the  fast- 
nesses of  these  Rocky  Mountains,  these  everlasting 
hills,  that  tower  with  their  snow-capped  lofty  tips 
as  though  to  pierce  the  sun-illumined  vault  of  heav- 
en. 

Colorado  is  indeed  the  land  of  sunshine.  The 
Weather  Bureau  reports  show  an  average  of  357 
sunshiny  days  per  year,  covering  a  period  of  20 
years.  Sunshine  means  health,  and  health  is  to  be 
found  in  Colorado.  Humidity,  which  is  all-pre- 
vailing in  Maryland,  in  Colorado  is  unknown. 
Official  observation  for  22  years  shows  an  aver- 
age of  49.64  per  cent  of  saturation  in  Colorado, 
while  in  New  York  the  average  humidity  is  71 
per  cent.  We  don't  know  what  it  is  in  Mary- 
land, but  you  may  compare  your  per  cent  of  satu- 
ration in  the  last  22  years  with  that  of  Colorado. 


72  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

The  altitude  of  this  State  naturally  carries  with  it  a 
crisp,  electric  atmosphere,  through  which  the  warm 
sun  shines  with  slight  loss.  The  climate  of  this 
State  is  almost  a  perfect  specific  for  pulmonary 
troubles.  One  can  live  an  out-of-door  life  here  the 
whole  year  round,  because  the  cold  of  winter,  like 
the  heat  of  summer,  is  tempered  by  the  rarefied  air. 
Extreme  cold  weather  is  rarely  known  here,  and 
there  is  little  snow  and  practically  no  sleighing. 
The  light  snows  they  have  here  occur  between  sun- 
down and  sunrise,  and  disappear  under  the  glowing 
morning  sun. 

Next  to  climate,  Colorado  excels  the  world  in 
scenery.  No  pen  can  portray,  no  brush  can  pic- 
ture, no  words  describe  the  majestic  grandeur  of 
the  Rockies.  Colorado  possesses  155  mountain 
peaks,  rising  beyond  13,500  feet  of  altitude,  or  more 
than  ten  times  as  many  as  there  are  in  Europe. 
Colorado's  1 04,500  square  miles  are  broken  up  into 
majestic  wonders  of  mountain  and  plains,  of  glens 
and  canons,  of  waterfalls  and  lakes,  of  caverns  and 
peaks.  Mineral  springs  abound  here,  and  the  noted 
waters  of  France,  Austria,  Switzerland  and  Ger- 
many are  fast  surrendering  their  reputation  to  those 
of  Colorado  waters.  Scenery,  altitude,  sunshine 
and  climate,  therefore,  constitute  the  factors  which 
are  making  Colorado  the  health  and  pleasure 
grounds  of  the  world. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    SIGHTS    AND    SCENES    ON    THE    DENVER    AND    RIO 

GRANDE  RAILROAD THE   FAMOUS   LOOP 

ON    A    BENDER. 

Grand  Junction  and  its  Fruit. 

The  mid-continent  region  traversed  by  the  Den- 
ver and  Rio  Grande  Railroad,  possesses  without 
doubt,  the  most  magnificent  scenery  in  the  world. 
It  was  our  good  fortune  while  sojourning  in  Colo- 
rado, to  take  some  of  these  trips  on  the  Denver 
and  Rio  Grande,  "  The  Scenic  Line  of  the  World." 
This  road  is  splendidly  equipped,  and  the  tourist  or 
pleasure-seeker  secures  every  comfort  while  travel- 
ing on  the  famous  "  Scenic  Line,"  which  is  as  es- 
sential to  Colorado  as  the  great  distributing,  life- 
spreading  artery  is  to  the  never-resting  pulsating 
heart. 

In  the  land  of  wonders  and  surprises,  of  con- 
trasts, sharp  and  wonderful,  to  which  there  is  said 
to  be  no  comparison  on  the  other  side  of  the  "  big 
pond,"  it  would  be  simply  impossible  to  touch  even 
lightly  on  the  sights  and  scenes,  on  the  wonders 
and  panoramic  pictures  our  eyes  have  feasted  upon 


74  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

in  this  enchanted  land.  In  our  feeble  way,  how- 
ever, we  shall  endeavor  to  briefly  mention  some  of 
the  picturesque  beauties  of  Colorado  that  have  been 
immortalized  in  song,  that  we  may  further  assist  the 
imaginations  of  those  who  have  not  beheld  these 
scenes,  and  refresh  the  memories  of  those  who  have 
beheld  them. 

One  of  the  first  trips  to  be  taken  out  of  Denver 
and  over  the  mountains,  is  usually  that  to  the  far- 
famed  "  Loop/'  the  most  wonderful  piece  of  engi- 
neering in  the  country.  The  road  here  is  certainly 
"  on  a  bender."  The  trip  is  made  over  the  Colo- 
rado Southern  Railroad.  Leaving  Denver,  the 
road  follows  the  mountains,  those  magnificent  spec- 
imens of  God's  handiwork,  sublime  in  their  grand- 
eur. Following  the  mountains,  the  railroad 
curves  in  and  out,  now  to  the  right,  now  to  the  left, 
the  engine  being  in  sight  of  the  rear  coach  most  of 
the  time.  The  Rockies  jut  out  here  and  there, 
until  one  can  almost  touch  them  from  either  side  of 
the  train.  Here  and  there  appears  a  formation  of 
rock,  similar  in  form  and  construction  to  the  human 
face.  Then  we  pass  through  huge  rocks,  meeting 
overhead,  and  styled  the  "  Gateway."  Flowers 
peep  between  rocks  and  boulders;  and  here  and 
there  a  patch  of  snow  can  be  seen  glistening  in  the 
sunlight  on  the  tops  of  the  loftiest  peaks.  The 
mountain  streams  rush  on  over  the  boulders  and 


THE    DENVER   AND    RIO    GRANDE    RAILROAD.       75 

massive  rocks,  tearing  madly  on  in  their  reckless 
course  down  the  mountain  side.  Ever  and  anon,  a 
cloud  envelops  the  higher  peaks,  until  they  seem  to 
be  swallowed  up  into  the  heavens.  The  grandeur 
of  it  all  is  sublime,  and  one  "  looks  through  nature 
up  to  nature's  God." 

Finally,  we  come  to  Central  City,  or  Idaho 
Springs.  Here,  a  stop  is  made,  and  we  then  con- 
tinue on  to  the  road's  terminus  at  Silver  Plume, 
9,476  feet  above  sea-level.  It  is  vain  to  attempt  to 
describe  the  magnificence  of  the  view  of  the  sur- 
rounding country.  Mountains  to  the  right  of  us, 
mountains  to  the  left  of  us,  mountains  in  front  of 
us,  towered  in  all  their  majestic  splendor.  It  was 
indeed  grand.  None  of  the  beauty  of  scenery  was 
lost  on  the  return-trip.  The  magnificent  doub- 
lings and  twistings  of  the  road  over  the  mountains, 
which  has  been  christened  the  "  Georgetown 
Loop,"  could  be  seen  to  better  advantage  on  the 
return-trip.  Pictures  of  this  have  not  in  the  least 
been  exaggerated,  and  the  construction  of  the  road 
is  a  piece  of  wonderful  engineering  and  an  evidence 
of  human  skill  and  ingenuity. 

When  beholding  the  mountains  we  exclaimed, 
"  What  hath  God  wrought ! "  when  beholding  this 
serpentine  curve  cut  out  of  the  rocks,  a  mere  shelf 
on  the  edge  of  which  trains  run  and  carry  human 
freight  safely  to  an  altitude  of  9,000  feet,  we  ex- 


76  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

claimed,  "  What  hath  man  wrought ! "  On  the  re- 
turn-trip we  had  the  novel  experience  of  being  be- 
tween two  storms  in  the  mountains — one  back  of 
us  and  one  in  front  of  us.  We  had  the  benefit  of 
their  grandeur  and  awfulness  without  the  unpleas- 
ant experience  of  being  caught  in  either  of  them. 
Everybody  who  is  anybody,  and  who  comes  to 
Denver  takes  the  trip  around  the  "  Loop."  The 
trains  are  always  crowded,  and,  as  the  trip  is  made 
especially  for  the  scenery,  the  trains  are  made  up  of 
observation-coaches,  all  of  which  are  filled.  Each 
trip  one  takes  out  of  Denver  and  over  the  scenic 
lines  of  the  West,  he  thinks  grander,  and  more 
grand  than  its  predecessor.  Another  trip,  famous 
for  its  scenery  and  which  tourists  and  pleasure-seek- 
ers delight  in  and  enthuse  over  is  the  one  to  Grand 
Junction,  over  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Rail- 
road, part  of  which  trip  is  made  over  narrow-gauge 
and  part  over  broad-gauge  system. 

The  narrow-gauge  system  of  Colorado,  with  its 
thousands  of  miles  of  road  running  across  plains, 
through  canons  and  over  snow-capped  mountains, 
has  been  the  wonder  of  the  engineering  world  for 
some  years  past;  while  the  small  but  powerful  loco- 
motives have  been  viewed  by  thousands  with  sur- 
prise and  admiration.  The  train  for  Grand  Junc- 
tion leaves  Denver  at  9.45  p.  m.,  over  the  narrow- 
gauge,  and  everybody  on  the  Pullman  "  Ouray " 


THE    DENVER    AND    RIO    GRANDE    RAILROAD.       77 

proceeds  to  "  turn  in "  shortly  after  leaving  the 
city.  For  one,  to  whom  the  curves  and  twists 
through  the  gorges  and  canons  is  yet  a  novel  ex- 
perience, there  is  little  sleep  in  store.  He  holds  on 
like  grim  death,  for  fear  of  being  bounced  out  on 
the  floor.  He  says  his  prayers  over  and  over,  lest 
he  close  his  eyes  and  wake  up — he  doesn't  know 
where.  He  trembles  and  shakes,  lest  his  upstairs- 
neighbor  cave  in  on  him,  or  roll  out  of  his  ele- 
vated couch  with  a  dull  thud  on  the  floor  at  his 
side.  He  tortures  himself  with  all  sorts  of  foolish 
fears  and  imaginations  until  morning  dawns,  and 
he  rises,  to  see  the  sun  do  likewise,  and  then  wants 
to  stick  a  hat-pin  in  himself  for  having  been  such 
a  blasted  fool,  and  not  knowing  that  he  was  only 
winding  in  and  out  Royal  Gorge  or  Grand  Canon, 
or  some  other  old  place,  and  not  going  on  a 
straight  line  as  though  he  were  on  the  Baltimore 
and  Ohio,  going  over  to  Washington  from  An- 
napolis. 

What  a  beautiful  sunrise !  The  air  was  keen  and 
crisp.  We  sat  on  the  rear  platform,  and  took  in 
the  scenery.  And  such  scenery !  Variety  is  the 
striking  feature  of  Colorado  scenery.  Canons, 
peaks  and  passes  awe  the  beholder  with  their 
grandeur.  Lakes  abound,  whose  mirrors  reflect  the 
peaceful  arching  skies  above;  hundreds  of  them  un- 
honored  and  unsung,  but  others  enshrined  in  the 
hearts  of  the  lovers  of  the  beautiful. 


78  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

On  this  trip  one  sees  the  vast  plains  extending  to 
the  far  horizon's  rim,  the  grand  old  mountains 
climbing  in  splintered  pinnacles  to  the  very  zenith; 
canons,  which  awe  one  with  their  abysmal  depths; 
valleys  of  Arcadian  loveliness;  rivers,  the  waters 
of  which  sweep  on  with  tumultuous  force;  brooks 
of  crystal  cleanness;  dancing  waterfalls,  with  filmy 
veil  festooned  with  fringes  of  dew-drops,  sparkling 
like  diamonds  in  the  sunlight;  flowers  blooming 
amidst  eternal  snows;  foliage  tinted  with  the  touch 
of  frost — all  this  symphony  of  grandeur  awes  the 
soul  with  a  haunting  beauty  that  once  seen  can 
never  be  forgotten. 

We  were  told  that  breakfast  would  not  be  until 
we  reached  Sargent,  at  9.30,  so  we  drank  in  the 
mountain  air  (which  was  not  very  filling,  to  say  the 
least,  to  any  empty  stomach),  and  we  were  not  in 
a  condition  calculated  to  profit  the  hotel,  at  which 
we  were  preparing  to  do  ample  justice  to  breakfast 
when  the  time  came.  Our  first  morning  stop  was 
made  at  Salida,  at  6.10.  Salida  is  217  miles  from 
Denver  and  is  the  centre  of  four  divisions  of  the 
Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad.  From  here,  the 
lines  radiate  in  all  directions.  Passing  a  number 
of  unimportant  stations,  we  reached  the  famous 
Marshall  Pass  at  7.55  a.  m.  The  Pass  has  an  alti- 
tude of  10,856  feet.  From  this  point,  a  magnificent 
view  can  be  had  of  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  (Blood  of 
Christ),  range  extending  to  the  southeast. 


\ 


THE    DENVER    AND    RIO    GRANDE    RAILROAD.       79 

The  Pass  is  a  scenic  and  scientific  wonder. 
Grades  of  212  feet  to  a  mile  are  frequent,  and  the 
ascent  and  descent  are  made  by  a  series  of  most  re- 
markable curves.  The  streams  from  the  summit 
flow  eastward  into  the  Atlantic  ocean,  and  westward 
into  the  Pacific  ocean.  We  climbed  the  tower  and 
had  an  unobstructed  view  of  miles  of  cone-shaped 
summits,  the  timberless  tops  of  the  towering 
ranges  showing  us  that  we  were  among  the  heights, 
and  in  a  region  familiar  with  the  clouds.  Stretch- 
ing away  to  the  left  are  the  Sierras.  The  sunlight 
falls  with  a  white,  transfiguring  radiance  upon  the 
snow-capped  spires  of  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  range, 
until  clouds  and  sky  and  snow  peaks  co-mingle, 
forming  a  vague  bewildering  region.  We  wonder 
at  the  triumphs  of  engineering  skill  that  have  given 
the  traveler  the  benefit  of  gazing  with  mingled  awe 
and  admiration  at  the  stupendous  grandeur  of  such 
a  scene. 

Sargent  is  reached  at  9.30,  where  we  had  twenty 
minutes  for  breakfast,  not  enough  time  to  satisfy 
our  appetites,  whetted  by  mountain  air.  Gunni- 
son,  on  the  Gunnison  river,  291  miles  from  Denver, 
is  next  reached.  This  is  a  mining  town  of  great 
importance,  and  a  splendid  location  for  fishing. 
The  next  place  of  importance  is  Lake  City,  35  miles 
from  Sapaniero.  To  reach  this  interesting  point, 
the  traveler  traverses  the  entire  length  of  the  Lake 


8O  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

Fork  Canon,  one  of  the  most  magnificent  of  the 
Rocky  Mountain  canons.  Within  three  miles  of 
Lake  City  is  the  beautiful  Lake  San  Cristoval,  form- 
ed by  an  immense  mountain  slide  ages  ago,  and 
now  probably  the  most  beautiful  body  of  water  in 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  We  now  approach  the 
Black  Canon,  and  here  the  observation-car  is  put 
on.  The  Black  Canon  is  25  miles  west  of  Gunni- 
son.  Along  many  miles  of  this  grand  gorge,  the 
railroad  hangs  upon  a  shelf,  hewn  out  of  living 
rock,  which  rises  frequently  to  an  altitude  of  2,000 
feet. 

The  Black  Canon  is  16  miles  in  length  and 
abounds  in  innumerable  striking  features.  Great 
walls  of  rock  rise  on  either  side.  One  looks  up 
between  them  at  the  blue  dome  of  heaven  above 
with  a  feeling  of  awe.  The  mountain  stream,  pure 
and  limpid,  rushes  and  gurgles  to  the  right.  The 
rocks  jut  out  here  and  there,  and  immense  boul- 
ders rest  on  the  merest  ledge,  as  though  ready  to 
crush  down  with  gigantic  force  into  the  abysmal 
chasm  beneath.  About  midway  in  the  canon,  Chip- 
peta  Falls  pitches,  down  a  perpendicular  height  of 
hundreds  of  feet,  from  the  top  of  dizzy  cliffs,  the 
stream  of  liquid  crystal  to  the  bosom  of  the  spark- 
ling river  which  dashes  on  beside  the  road.  Fur- 
ther on,  a  spacious  amphitheatre  is  passed,  in  the 
centre  of  which,  solitary  and  alone,  stands  Curre- 


CURRECANTI   NEEDLE. 


THE    DENVER    AND    RIO    GRANDE    RAILROAD.       8l 

canti  Needle,  a  towering  monument  of  solid  stone, 
which  reaches  to  where  it  flaunts  the  clouds  like 
some  great  cathedral  spire.  Truly,  there  is  no 
place  so  beautiful,  so  awful,  so  sublime  in  all  the 
world  as  the  Black  Canon,  the  scenery  of  which  is 
kaleidoscopic,  ever-changing;  walls  of  which  are  so 
close  together  that,  for  most  of  the  distance 
through  the  canon,  only  a  streak  of  sky,  sometimes 
in  broad  daylight  spangled  with  stars,  can  be  seen 
above. 

Our  feeling,  when  beholding  all  this  sublime 
grandeur,  was  that  we  loved  the  whole  world,  and 
wished  that  part  of  the  people  most  dear  to  us  could 
see  with  us  all  this  stupendous  magnificence.  If 
there  be  any  egotism  in  one  (and  there  is  in  most  of 
us),  these  grand  and  glorious  mountains,  this  scen- 
ery of  Colorado,  is  the  place  to  take  it  all  out  of 
him.  We  shall  never  feel  our  importance  again. 
Since  beholding  the  Black  Canon  we  are  conscious 
that  we  are  the  least  of  God's  creation,  a  mere 
pigmy,  an  ant,  a  grasshopper,  a  protoplasm — so 
great,  so  grand,  so  sublime  are  these  huge  moun- 
tains, the  wonderful  handiwork  of  the  Creator  of  all 
things,  who  centuries  and  ages  ago  called  into  ex- 
istence these  towers  of  rock,  pointing  upward  to- 
ward heaven,  the  home  of  the  redeemed  and  the 
blest. 

How  long  have  they  stood  there  as  monuments 
6 


82  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

to  the  Great  First  Cause  of  all  things?  How  long 
will  they  stand  with  their  lofty  spires  reminding  us 
of  Him  to  whom  we  owe  fealty?  What  rich  treas- 
ures are  buried  in  the  secret  recesses  of  their  hearts, 
treasures  awaiting  coming  generations  yet  unborn? 
These  thoughts  come  crowding  with  hundreds  of 
others  upon  one  as  he  reverently  beholds  God's 
handiwork. 

Here,  in  the  Black  Canon,  every  mood  of  man 
finds  an  answering  mood  in  Nature.  The  little 
mountain  stream  smiles  with  gentle  contentment, 
the  waterfall  dances  with  jocund  glee,  the  torrent 
rages  with  savage  fury  in  its  wild  chase  through  its 
rocky  channel,  the  canon  frowns  with  somber 
gloom,  the  mountains  gaze  with  majesty  over  all. 

Leaving  here,  we  begin  to  make  the  ascent  of 
Cerro  Summit.  From  here,  the  Uncompahgre 
Valley,  its  river,  and  the  distant  picturesque  peaks 
of  the  San  Juan  are  in  sight  of  the  traveler. 

After  passing  Montrose,  353  miles  from  Denver, 
a  fine  view  of  the  Uncompahgre  Mountains,  ex- 
tending to  the  southwest  can  be  obtained.  Un- 
compahgre Peak,  the  monarch  of  the  range,  rises 
to  an  altitude  of  14,419  feet.  Beyond  Delta,  and 
after  traversing  rich  farming  lands  of  the  Gunnison 
Valley,  the  road  passes  through  lower  Gunnison 
Valley,  which  also  abounds  in  strikingly  beautiful 
scenery.  It  is  now  about  3  o'clock  in  the  after- 


CHIPETA  FALLS,   IN  THE   BLACK  CANON. 


THE    DENVER   AND    RIO    GRANDE    RAILROAD.       83 

noon.  The  scenery  has  so  filled  us  with  awe  and 
reverence  that  we  are  glad  to  descend  from  the 
heights,  and  look  upon  the  plain  fields  and  sur- 
roundings of  every-day  life. 

Grand  Junction,  the  famous  peach  district,  is 
reached  at  5.30  p.  m.  Here  we  have  a  two  hours' 
wait,  and  take  advantage  of  the  time  by  visiting  the 
fruit  farms,  and  sampling  the  delicious  variety  of 
luscious  peaches  presented  in  baskets  to  each  trav- 
eler holding  a  coupon  for  same,  which  was  given 
him  with  his  railroad-ticket.  Anne  Arundel  has — 
lo,  these  many  years ! — been  famous  for  its  fruit  and 
vegetables,  but  Anne  Arundel  (with  all  due  respect 
to  our  native  heath)  is  not  "  in  it "  (to  use  vulgar 
parlance)  with  Grand  Junction.  Her  peaches  taste 
all  the  way  from  the  fuzz  on  the  skin  to  the  stone. 
They  are  of  the  most  delightful  flavor,  large  and  lus- 
cious. A  Grand  Junction  peach  has  an  individu- 
ality all  its  own,  and  no  other  peach  can  presume 
to  "  light  a  candle  "  to  it. 

There  are  other  fruits  here  beside  peaches. 
There  are  pears,  plums,  canteloupes,  apricots,  and 
so  forth,  all  of  the  finest  variety.  The  fruit-grow- 
ers at  Grand  Junction  have  the  art  of  cultivating 
fruit  down  to  fine  points,  beside  having  the  locality, 
which  is  altogether  favorable.  Hemmed  in  by 
mountains,  protected  from  the  cold  blasts  of  winter, 
with  but  little  frosts,  a  bright  warm  sun  the  year 


84  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

round,  rich  and  fertile  soil,  what  is  there  to  prevent 
the  fruitful  production  which  results  therefrom? 
Last  season,  we  have  been  told,  the  Denver  and 
Rio  Grande  Express  shipped  600  tons  of  peaches 
from  Grand  Junction;  and  in  strawberry-season, 
these  luscious  berries  are  shipped  by  the  car-load. 
One  potato  grown  here  is  oftentimes  sufficient  for 
a  family  dinner,  and  you  need  not  wonder  at  this  or 
think  the  family  is  a  very  small  one,  when  we  tell 
you  we  have  been  informed,  authentically,  by  a 
gentleman  who  saw  one,  that  white  potatoes  grow 
1 8  inches  in  length  in  the  neighborhood  of  Grand 
Junction  and  Glenwood  Springs  (of  which  place 
we  shall  speak  later). 

Grand  Junction  and  her  delicious  fruit  are  syn- 
onymous, and  there  never  were,  nor  ever  will  be, 
any  peaches  like  Grand  Junction  peaches.  Leav- 
ing the  famous  fruit  district,  we  embarked  for  Glen- 
wood  Springs,  which  is  reached  at  10.30  p.  m. 
Here  we  spent  the  night  at  Hotel  Colorado,  one  of 
the  finest  equipped  and  handsomest  hotels  in  the 
country.  It  is  built  of  peach-blow  colored  stone 
and  Roman  brick,  and  cost  $350,000.  It  extends 
around  three  sides  of  a  large  court  124  feet  square. 
This  is  terraced  and  adorned  with  fountains,  grass- 
plats,  paths,  and  beds  of  flowers,  affording  a  de- 
lightful promenade,  and  commanding  lovely  views. 
Broad  corridors  and  verandas  surround  the  court. 


ROYAL  GORGE. 


THE    DENVER    AND    RIO    GRANDE    RAILROAD.       85 

The  hotel  is  built  in  the  Italian  style,  the  Villa 
Medicas  in  Rome  having  given  inspiration  for  the 
central  motive,  which  consists  of  two  towers,  with 
connecting  loggias,  offering  fine  outlooks  over 
mountain,  river  and  valley.  There  is  accommoda- 
tion for  300  guests.  In  the  morning,  we  took  a 
walk  through  the  picturesque  arbor  to  the  bathing- 
pool  and  boiling  springs,  the  mineral  properties  of 
which  are  famous.  The  analysis  of  one  of  the 
springs,  "  Yampah,"  proves  the  efficacy  of  its  heal- 
ing properties,  and  that  it  contains  more  medicinal 
properties  than  the  Kissengen  Springs  in  Bavaria. 
The  temperature  of  the  Spring  water  is  124  de- 
grees Fahrenheit.  The  "  Yampah "  flows  2,000 
gallons  per  minute.  There  is  but  one  word  to  de- 
scribe Glenwood  Springs,  "  The  Kissengen  of 
America  "-  —Wonderful.  It  is  an  Eden,  a  paradise. 
Imagine,  if  you  can,  a  river  winding  between  gran- 
ite walls,  so  lofty  that  their  shadows  subdue  the  sun- 
shine into  a  "  dim,  religious  light."  These  waters 
—of  Colorado's  largest  river,  fitly  named,  Grand — 
chant  in  melodious  tones  a  hymn  to  Nature,  as 
they  proudly  journey  down  the  western  slope  to 
wed  that  peaceful  ocean,  whose  azure  waves  toy 
with  the  shores  of  Golden  Gate;  now  smooth  and 
murmuring,  now  dark  and  angry,  rushing  at  great 
rocks  that  lie  in  their  pathway,  roaring  defiance  at 
the  adamantine  obstructions,  forming  with  the 


86  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

shifting  scenery  a  living  kaleidoscope,  ever  chang- 
ing, now  soothing  with  a  pleasant  dream,  and  now 
exciting  the  mind  with  wonder  and  with  awe. 
These  are  the  departing  scenes  as  we  leave  Glen- 
wood  on  the  return-trip,  passing  into  a  tunnel 
through  a  mighty  mountain  to  the  "  Gates  "  of  the 
Canon  of  the  Grand  river. 

We  reach  what  is  called  "The  Portals."  On 
each  side,  the  walls  rise  to  a  height  of  2,000  feet, 
the  river  and  the  railroad  fill  the  space  between, 
while  a  great  monolith,  to  the  left  of  the  track, 
stands  isolated  and  rises  like  a  watch-tower  to 
guard  "The  Portals." 

We  are  now  "  within  the  gates,"  the  picturesque 
approach  to  the  Grand  river.  The  road  curves 
around  a  huge  cliff  to  the  left,  while  to  the  right  are 
the  river  and  the  perpendicular  walls  of  the  canon. 
The  scene,  the  portrayal  of  which  is  beyond  human 
ken,  beggars  description. 

West  of  Red  Cliff,  and  304  miles  from  Denver, 
we  reach  Eagle  Canon.  This  is  a  remarkable 
gorge,  not  only  wondrous  for  its  works  of  nature, 
but  for  the  wonders  of  human  skill  and  handiwork. 
For  here  the  sides  and  summit  of  the  canon  are 
made  the  resting-places  of  shaft-houses,  and  dwell- 
ings of  miners,  elevated  2,000  feet  above  the  track, 
and  reminding  one  of  the  eyries  of  eagles.  This 
canon  is  a  rich  mining  region,  of  which,  Battle 


THE    DENVER   AND    RIO    GRANDE    RAILROAD.      87 

Mountain  is  the  centre.  Just  beyond  this,  the  rail- 
road enters  Red  Cliff  Canon,  a  comparatively  short, 
but  very  interesting  gorge  in  the  mountains. 

Leaving  here,  just  as  the  train  rounds  the  curve, 
one  sees  the  Mount  of  Holy  Cross.  This  famous 
mountain  bears  a  cross  of  snow  upon  its  bosom, 
formed  by  deposits  in  an  upright  and  transverse 
canon.  The  upright  of  the  cross  is  about  1,500 
feet,  and  the  arms  about  750  feet  in  length.  The 
elevation  of  the  mountain  is  about  14,176  feet. 

Eleven  miles  before  reaching  Leadville,  the  Den- 
ver and  Rio  Grande  Railroad  scales  the  Continental 
Divide,  at  the  altitude  of  10,418  feet.  This  is  call- 
ed Tennessee  Pass.  Thirteen  miles  from  Lead- 
ville, on  the  Blue  river,  is  Fremont  Pass,  the  high- 
est railroad  pass  in  the  world,  the  elevation  being 
1 1,540  feet.  Here,  we  had  a  view  of  Grand  Moun- 
tain. 

As  we  approach  Leadville  we  see  to  the  west  a 
remarkable  mountain  called  Mount  Massive,  rising 
to  an  altitude  of  14,368  feet.  Leadville  is  a  great 
mining-camp  and  has  a  population  of  15,000.  Its 
elevation  is  10,200  feet,  and  it  is  the  highest  city  in 
the  world.  Buena  Vista  is  the  next  stop.  It  is  a 
city  of  considerable  importance,  and  is  noted  for  its 
cottonwood  hot  springs.  The  State  reformatory  is 
also  located  here.  It  is  a  handsome  building  of  Colo- 
rado stone,  and  surrounded  with  beautiful  grounds. 


88  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

We  now  reach  Brown's  Canon,  a  small  but  very  at- 
tractive canon,  flowing  through  which  is  the  Ark- 
ansas river.  Not  far  from  here  we  have  a  view  of 
three  imposing  peaks  called  Collegiate  Peaks, 
named  for  Harvard,  Princeton  and  Yale. 

We  soon  reach  the  Royal  Gorge,  the  crowning 
wonder  of  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad. 
What  can  we  say  of  this?  No  expletives  can  we 
call  up  by  word  or  pen  that  will  picture  the  grand- 
eur of  this  magnificent  monument  to  the  omnipo- 
tence of  an  all-wise  Creator.  After  the  entrance 
of  the  canon  has  been  made,  surprise  and  almost 
terror  comes.  The  train  rolls  round  a  long  curve 
close  under  a  wall  of  black  and  banded  granite,  be- 
side which  the  ponderous  locomotive  shrinks  to  a 
mere  dot,  as  if  swinging  on  some  pivot  in  the  heart 
of  the  mountain,  or  captured  by  a  centripetal  force 
that  would  never  resign  its  grasp.  Almost  a  whole 
circle  is  accomplished,  and  the  grand  amphitheatri- 
cal  sweep  of  the  wall  is  made  in  its  smooth  and  zen- 
ith-cutting fagade.  Will  the  journey  end  here?  Is 
it  a  mistake  that  this  crevice  goes  through  the 
range?  Does  not  all  this  mad  water  gush  from 
some  spring,  or  boil  out  of  a  subterranean  channel, 
impenetrable  to  us?  No,  it  opens. 

Resisting  centripetal,  centrifugal  force  claims  the 
train,  and  it  breaks  away  at  a  tangent,  past  the  edge 
or  round  the  corner  of  the  great  black  wall  which 


THE    DENVER    AND    RIO    GRANDE    RAILROAD.       89 

compelled  its  detour  and  that  of  the  river  before  it. 
Now,  what  glories  of  rock-piling  confront  the 
wide-distended  eye !  How  those  sharp-edged  cliffs, 
standing  with  upright  heads  that  play  at  hand-ball 
with  the  clouds,  alternate  with  one  another,  so  that 
first  the  right  then  the  left,  then  the  right  one  be- 
yond strike  our  view,  each  one  half  obscured  by  its 
fellow  in  front,  each  showing  itself  level-browed 
with  its  comrades  as  we  come  even  with  it,  each  a 
score  of  hundreds  of  dizzy  feet  in  height,  rising  per- 
pendicular from  the  water  and  the  track,  splintered 
atop  into  airy  pinnacles,  braced  behind  against  the 
almost  continental  mass,  through  which  the  chasm 
has  been  cleft.  And  this  is  Royal  Gorge ! 

There  is  not  a  whit  of  egotism  in  us  now,  we  are 
even  smaller  than  the  ant,  a  mere  animalcule.  The 
Royal  Gorge  is  indeed  the  climax  of  grandeur. 
The  shades  of  night  are  falling,  and  the  exquisite 
scenery  is  shut  in  by  the  drapery  of  nightfall,  pin- 
ned back  here  and  there  by  the  stars.  We  be- 
grudge the  veil  of  darkness  which  obscures  the 
view,  every  inch  of  which  we  have  thoroughly  en- 
joyed, and  over  which  we  are  naturally  enthused. 
There  was  no  monotony  about  it  all,  for  the  scene 
was  an  ever-changing  one,  with  mountain,  river, 
gorge,  canon,  and  now  and  then  ranches,  log-huts 
and  mining-camps  looming  up  along  the  road,  not 
to  mention  the  foliage,  great  green  and  red  patches 


90  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

of   which,    interspersed   with   yellow,    dotted    the 
mountain  sides. 

The  trip  to  Grand  Junction  is  too  grand  for  mere 
description.  One  had  as  well  try  to  make  a  deaf 
person  appreciate  the  deathless  harmonies  of  Wag- 
ner or  Lange,  as  to  attempt  to  depict  with  word  or 
pen  the  beauties  with  which  nature  has  endowed 
Colorado.  The  colored  porter's  description  is  as 
eloquent  as  any  we  can  think  of :  "  Yes,  indeedy 
Miss,  nachuh  has  sho'ly  been  heah,  an'  she's  heah 
yet." 


CHAPTER  IX. 


OF  THE  WEST" — PIKE'S  PEAK — "THE 

GEM  OF  THE  ROCKIES." 

One  of  the  cities  of  the  far-famed  Pike's  Peak 
region  is  Colorado  Springs.  It  is  a  city  of  20,000 
inhabitants,  and  is  a  popular  summer  resort.  Here, 
one  may  enjoy  all  the  comforts  of  life  together  with 
conveniences,  and  a  large  share  of  pleasure  the 
modern  city  affords,  not  to  mention  abundance  of 
Colorado  air,  sunshine  and  scenery. 

Driving  through  the  city,  one  sees  the  elegant 
and  costly  mansion  along  with  the  cosy  home-like 
cottage.  Its  streets  are  broad  and  bordered  on 
either  side  by  shade  trees,  which  effect  is  very  pleas- 
ing. Its  hotels  are  metropolitan  of  size  and  ap- 
pointment, its  business  houses,  stores,  churches  and 
schools,  and  clubs  are  imposing  structures,  thor- 
oughly equipped,  costly  and  up  to  date. 

Here,  some  of  the  most  influential  business  men 
of  the  State  reside.  Colorado  Springs  is  the  seat 
of  the  Colorado  College.  It  is  strictly  a  temper- 
ance town,  and  for  once  we  were  in  a  city  of  20,000 


92  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

inhabitants  where  there  is  not  a  single  saloon.  The 
absence  of  these  prominent  exponents  of  other 
cities  is  at  once  apparent  to  the  visitor,  and  re- 
freshingly unique.  The  society  of  the  place  is 
charming. 

One  meets  the  most  delightful  people,  highly 
cultured  and  much-traveled  residents,  together 
with  numerous  tourists  from  Old  Glory's  domain 
and  across  the  "  big  pond."  The  environments  of 
Colorado  Springs  are  great  in  number  and  variety 
of  scenic  wonders.  Besides  having  superb  roads 
and  boulevards,  there  are  several  lines  of  electric 
railways  leading  to  the  great  Cheyenne  Canons,  to 
Manitou,  the  Garden  of  the  Gods,  and  to  other 
points  of  supreme  interest. 

Here,  the  matchless  panorama  of  the  Pike's 
Peak  Range  for  20  miles  from  north  to  south,  is 
ever  in  view,  notching  the  sky  in  splendid  serra- 
tions, and  dominated  midway  by  the  great  peak  it- 
self. 

Everybody  who  visits  Colorado  Springs  visits 
the  famous  Broadmoor  Casino.  It  lies  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountains,  and  possesses  attractions,  as  no- 
table in  its  way,  as  they  do.  It  is  modeled  after  the 
famous  German  and  Italian  casinos,  and  is  a  veri- 
table temple  of  pleasure,  perfect  in  its  every  ap- 
pointment. 

Colorado  Springs  has  a  climate  that  attracts  the 


COLORADO    SPRINGS,    PIKE'S    PEAK,    ETC.         93 

health-seeker.  Here  is  located  the  State  Blind  In- 
stitution, a  handsome  granite  and  red-brick  build- 
ing, well  equipped  for  the  instruction  of  those  un- 
fortunates to  whom  the  sights  and  scenes  of  this 
lovely  State  are  lost  forever.  It  was  the  good 
pleasure  of  the  writer  to  visit  this  institution,  and 
to  be  conducted  through  the  buildings  by  a  bright 
lad  of  seventeen  years,  who,  with  his  hands  in  his 
pockets,  walked  from  room  to  room,  telling  us 
what  was  taught  here  and  there. 

We  asked  him  how  he  could  get  about  without 
the  use  of  his  hands  or  a  cane  to  locate  his  where- 
abouts. His  reply  was :  "  If  you  had  been  here 
seven  or  eight  years,  as  I  have,  I  presume  you 
could  do  the  same,  even  though  totally  blind."  We 
went  into  the  room  where  geography  is  taught,  and 
around  the  walls  of  which  were  raised  maps.  We 
asked  him  to  tell  us  some  of  the  continents  and 
islands.  By  touching  them  he  correctly  told  with- 
out the  slightest  hesitation.  One  little  blind  boy  of 
ten  years  played  "  Georgia  Camp-meeting"  for  us, 
as  well  as  anyone  with  sight  could.  It  is  wonderful 
to  see  these  children,  some  of  whom  are  deaf  and 
dumb  as  well  as  blind,  play  at  ball  and  other  games, 
during  recreation  hour,  happy  though  so  sorely  af- 
flicted. 

The  Printers'  Home  is  also  located  at  Colorado 
Springs.  It  is  another  handsome  building,  and 


94  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

here  a  number  of  sick  and  disabled  printers,  many 
of  whom  are  victims  of  tuberculosis,  are  seeking 
health.  They  are  from  almost  every  State  in  the 
Union,  and  quite  a  number  from  Washington,  who 
formerly  worked  in  the  Government  Printing  Of- 
fice in  that  city. 

One  never  visits  Colorado  Springs  without  see- 
ing Cheyenne  Canon — the  North  and  the  South 
Cheyenne;  the  latter,  though  not  so  long  as  the 
former,  is  superb,  and  is  owned  by  two  young  men, 
who  inherited  it  from  their  father,  he  having  pur- 
chased the  land  as  a  homestead  and  developed  and 
improved  it.  To-day,  it  is  a  veritable  gold-mine 
for  these  two  boys,  who  charge  an  admission  of 
25  cents  to  the  canon.  So  often  have  we  used 
the  expletives  "  grand,  sublime,  magnificent "  in 
describing  Colorado  scenery  that  they  have  long 
since  become  trite.  Indeed,  there  are  no  words  to 
describe  the  works  of  God  and  nature  here. 

Words  are  inadequate  for  description,  and  one 
word  must  express  all — Wonderful.  In  going 
through  North  Cheyenne  Canon,  we  observed  the 
rock-formations  on  either  side,  to  which  names 
have  been  ascribed.  We  passed  Longfellow's 
Monument,  a  massive  pinnacle  of  rock  towering 
toward  the  sky,  standing  isolated  from  others  of  its 
kind,  fit  emblem  to  honor  the  memory  of  the  poet 
laureate  for  whom  it  is  named.  Next  arose  before 


COLORADO    SPRINGS,    PIKE'S    PEAK,    ETC.         95 


us,  Prospect  Dome,  an  imposing  spire  of  125  feet. 
Then,  the  Pillars  of  Hercules  loomed  up  in  our 
pathway,  two  companion  rocks  800  feet  high.  The 
torrent  rushed  by  us,  the  queer  and  curious  foun- 
dations of  rock  loomed  up  ever  and  anon ;  the  scen- 
ery continued  to  awe  and  inspire  us  as  we  climbed 
up,  up,  up  to  the  end  of  North  Cheyenne  Canon, 
where  there  are  entrances  to  three  mines  of  for- 
mer days,  which,  gay  and  alluring  in  their  de- 
ceptiveness,  won  man's  confidence  to  their  inmost 
hearts,  and  then  cast  him  off  to  seek  more  remuner- 
ative creatures  of  their  kind.  We  went  into  these 
shafts  part-way,  then,  retracing  our  steps  through 
North  Cheyenne  Canon,  we  proceeded  to  visit 
South  Cheyenne  Canon,  a  most  picturesque  and 
awe-inspiring  spot. 

Here  are  massive  walls  of  richly  covered  gran- 
ite, rising  from  murmuring  streams,  almost  perpen- 
dicular to  the  sky  above.  Their  bold  and  rugged 
cliffs  are  split  and  broken  by  the  never-ending  bat- 
tle with  the  elements.  Their  lofty  domes  and  tow- 
ers stand  alone  and  unsupported  after  centuries  of 
upheaval  and  commotion,  inconceivable  to  man. 

The  lonely  brook,  with  its  crystal  waters,  winds 
in  and  out  in  the  deeply  wooded  recesses  of  the 
mountains,  and,  with  melodious  murmur,  glides 
over  the  mossy  logs  and  boulders  strewn  in  its 
path,  beneath  ferns  and  bushes  arched  above  it. 


96  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

Now  it  passes  through  the  solitary  glen,  now  un- 
der the  shadow  of  the  gray  old  trees,  the  keepers 
of  the  secrets  of  the  ages  past,  where  the  tourist 
may  find  undisturbed  communion  with  Nature. 
The  canon  is  covered  with  moss  and  filled  with 
flowers  of  every  tint  and  hue,  ladening  the  air  with 
sweetest  perfume. 

As  one  enters  South  Cheyenne  Canon,  he  be- 
holds a  great  cleft  in  the  granite  monument,  as 
though  some  mighty  hand  had  split  and  welded  it, 
that  one  might  enter  and  behold  the  wondrous 
works  of  time  within. 

At  the  right  of  the  entrance  is  a  massive  granite 
shaft  towering  almost  to  the  sky,  called  "  Eagle 
Cliff."  It  is  so  called  because  our  glorious  Ameri- 
can bird  has  chosen  it  a  fit  place  to  build  his  home. 
Just  before  us  is  another  giant,  equally  as  grand 
and  impressive,  and  clinging  to  its  side,  half-way 
down  from  its  summit,  and  standing  out  in  bold 
relief  against  the  sky,  are  " Vacant  Chair"  and 
"  Hindoo  Baby,"  each  a  curious  and  suggestive 
rock-formation.  Passing  through  the  gate,  where 
the  toll,  previously  spoken  of,  is  paid,  two  immense 
pillars  of  rock  stand  squarely  across  the  canon, 
completely  filling  it,  and  demanding  a  halt. 

The  way  seems  barred,  and  the  tourist  is  at  a  loss 
to  know  which  way  to  go,  but  the  brook  has  found 
its  way  and  so  must  we.  Here  we  find  the  most 


SEVEN   FALLS  IN  CHEYENNE  CANON. 


COLORADO    SPRINGS,    PIKE'S    PEAK,    ETC.         97 

wonderful  demonstration  in  the  action  of  the  water. 
For  hundreds  of  feet,  the  canon,  at  this  point,  has 
been  worn  through  the  solid  granite.  On  either 
side,  the  perpendicular  walls  rise  nearly  1,000  feet 
high,  and  at  one  place,  are  but  40  feet  apart,  barely 
giving  room  for  the  creek  and  the  roadway  between 
them.  Not  far  from  these  great  pillars  of  rock,  on 
the  left,  is  Observatory  Point;  next  we  come  to  a 
graceful  symmetrical  pinnacle  of  granite,  more  than 
300  feet  high.  It  stands  alone,  like  a  watch-tower 
of  the  God  of  War,  its  foot  wrapped  in  a  great  dark 
cloak  of  sombre  evergreen.  The  burro-trail  leaves 
the  canon  here  and  winds  its  way  through  a  thickly 
wooded  gulch  to  Point  Lookout  and  Seven  Falls. 
Here,  nature  out-does  herself  in  a  grand  display 
of  mighty  cliffs  and  rushing  waters.  Here,  is  a 
colossal  amphitheatre,  down  one  side  of  which 
plunges  the  foaming  torrent  in  seven  distinct  leaps 
from  a  perpendicular  height  of  216  feet.  To  view 
this,  we  ascend  a  mighty  stairway  and  enjoy  the 
beauties  around,  above  and  beyond.  It  is  said, 
there  is  no  place  accessible  to  tourists  which  sur- 
passes South  Cheyenne  Canon  in  scenic  beauty, 
not  even  excepting  the  Yosemite  Valley  and  Al- 
pine gorges.  The  entire  canon  presents  a  succes- 
sion of  the  grandest  views  that  can  be  imagined, 
while  beautiful  brooks  of  crystal  water,  a  flora  un- 
surpassed in  variety  and  the  finest  hills  in  Colorado, 
add  to  its  surpassing  attractiveness. 
7 


98  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

We  must  not  forget  to  say,  in  passing,  that  in 
this  canon  we  saw  the  famous  burro  "  Dick,"  which 
Helen  Hunt  Jackson,  the  poetess,  has  immortal- 
ized in  some  of  her  poems.  "  Dick "  is  a  white 
burro,  39  years  old,  and  famous  for  having  been 
used  by  the  United  States  government  20  years 
ago.  He  helped  to  build  the  cog-wheel  railway  up 
Pike's  Peak.  The  grave  of  Helen  Hunt  Jackson, 
whose  poems  are  filled  with  the  glories  of  these 
mountains  she  loved  so  well,  is  at  the  summit  of 
Seven  Falls,  in  quiet  Cheyenne  Canon. 

Leaving  Colorado  Springs  and  traveling  a  few 
miles  distant  by  steam  or  electric  railway,  one  ar- 
rives at  the  world-famous  Manitou.  Everyone  has 
heard  of  Manitou,  and  hundreds  of  thousands  have 
been  to  this  queen  of  mountain  resorts,  which  pos- 
sesses a  peculiar  charm  for.  the  tourist,  and  casts 
about  him  a  magic  spell,  under  the  bewitching 
glamour  of  which  he  lingers.  Manitou,  the  soft, 
melodious  Indian  name,  means  Spirit.  One  read- 
ily recalls  those  lines  of  Longfellow's  Hiawatha : 

"  Gitchie  Manitou,  the  Mighty! 
Give  your  children,  food,  oh  Father, 
Give  us  food  or  we  must  perish, 
Give  me  food  for  Minnehaha, 
For  my  dying  Minnehaha. ' ' 

But  Manitou  is  said  to  have  gotten  its  name 
some  other  way.  A  facetious  stage-driver  told  us 


COLORADO    SPRINGS,    PIKE  S    PEAK,    ETC.         9Q 

quite  a  different  story  for  the  origin  of  the  In- 
dian name.  A  lady  had  been  traveling  through 
this  portion  of  Colorado  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century  ago,  when  there  were  few  inhabitants  in 
the  present  city  of  Manitou.  Reaching  home,  her 
folk  asked  her  about  the  sights  and  scenes  of  the 
country.  "  Well,  tell  us  what  you  saw  there  "  was 
the  request  of  one.  "  Oh,  I  only  saw  a  man  or  two" 
was  the  response,  and  so  Manitou  got  its  name,  the 
story  says. 

Manitou  is  called  "  The  Saratoga  of  the  West." 
It  is  five  miles  from  Colorado  Springs,  and  80  miles 
due  south  of  Denver.  It  lies  in  a  cup-like  glen, 
surrounded  by  mountains,  and  has  for  an  impres- 
sive back  ground,  high  above  the  surrounding 
summits,  the  lonely  majesty  of  Pike's  Peak.  It  is 
famous  for  its  mineral  waters,  picturesque  sur- 
roundings and  the  cog-wheel  railroad  to  the  sum- 
mit of  Pike's  Peak.  Its  inhabitants  number  about 
2,000. 

There  are  two  electric-light  plants  here  and  three 
miles  of  streets  lighted  by  arc  lights.  A  beautiful 
avenue,  80  feet  wide,  runs  through  the  town,  on 
either  side  of  which  are  handsome  cottages,  villas 
and  hotels  of  elegant  design  and  construction.  In 
the  centre  of  the  town  are  the  famous  mineral 
springs — soda,  sulphur  and  iron.  These  are  in- 
closed within  miniature  parks  and  pleasure- 


100  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

grounds,  and  to  these  sparkling  mineral  springs  the 
Indians  brought  their  sick  for  healing  long  before 
the  coming  of  the  white  man's  foot.  Sparkling, 
effervescent  and  highly  agreeable  to  taste,  their 
waters  are  adapted  to  cure  or  alleviate  a  wide  range 
of  chronic  "  ills  which  man  is  heir  to." 

There  are  resorts  galore,  but  rustic,  balmy, 
healthful  Manitou  is  at  the  head  of  the  procession, 
and  offers  more  pleasure,  distraction  and  recreative 
opportunity  than  any  of  them.  Climatically  there 
is  no  other  region  that  so  nearly  approaches  the 
ideal,  both  in  its  conduciveness  to  health  and  its 
ecstatic  delightfulness;  and,  scenically,  the  whole 
region  rou'nd  about  is  fairly  covered  with  the  weird, 
the  wonderful  and  the  beauteous.  The  various 
springs  are  Nature's  own  apothecary  shop.  Na- 
ture was  indeed  lavish  in  showering  her  blessings 
on  Manitou.  Her  attractions  are  natural — God 
made  them.  Manitou !  There  is  symphony  in  the 
soft,  sweet  sound  of  that  Indian  name  for  the  Great 
Spirit,  for  all  who  have  felt  the  charm  of  the  place 
it  designates. 

One  takes  in  the  numerous  environments  for 
which  Manitou  is  remarkable,  and  some  of  which 
are  Glen  Eyrie,  Garden  of  the  Gods,  Cave  of  the 
Winds,  and  Pike's  Peak.  We  took  the  last  men- 
tioned first,  preferring  the  morning  to  the  after- 
noon on  the  summit.  Pike's  Peak !  That  historic 


COLORADO    SPRINGS,    PIKE'S    PEAK,    ETC.       IOI 


beacon  summit  which  guided  the  early  explorers 
across  the  Great  Plains,  rears  its  snow  crest  in  the 
midst  of  a  veritable  wonderland.  Here,  one  be- 
holds Nature  in  some  of  her  grandest  and  most 
fantastic  moods.  Here,  are  massive,  gigantic 
mountain  peaks  rearing  their  heads  in  the  regions 
of  perpetual  snow.  Here,  when  the  world  was 
young,  was  the  play-ground  of  Titan's  force — 
rock-forms  of  every  size,  shape  and  color,  rising  in 
airy  pinnacles  like  the  spires  of  Milan,  or  in  solid 
shafts,  against  which  modern  engineering  might 
beat  in  vain. 

There  are  several  ways  in  which  the  tourist  may 
ascend  the  Peak — by  wagon,  on  burro,  by  the  cog- 
wheel railway,  or,  if  he  has  the  grit  of  three  Eng- 
lishmen we  met,  he  takes  it  afoot.  Hailing  from 
Maryland,  and  being  imbued  with  Southern  blood 
that  loathes  over-exertion,  and  loves  ease  and  com- 
fort, we  took  the  cog.  The  railway  is  unique,  not 
to  say  wonderful.  At  the  Iron  Springs,  the  termi- 
nus of  the  street-railway,  one  takes  the  car  for  the 
summit  of  the  Peak.  The  coach  is  fitted  out  as 
any  railroad  coach  is;  the  engine,  which  we  shall 
not  attempt  to  describe,  because  we  cannot,  pushes 
the  coach  from  the  rear  up  the  mountain.  In  the 
centre  of  the  track  is  the  cog-wheel  arrangement, 
and  this  is  the  distinctive  feature  which  accom- 
plishes this  great  feat  of  engineering.  The  grade 


IO2  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

in  the  road  is  wonderful,  and  at  one  part  there  is 
an  ascent  of  25  per  cent  perpendicular  for  three 
miles. 

Were  it  not  for  the  cog-wheel  railway,  only 
those  few  of  nature's  physical  aristocrats  who  have 
superior  development  of  limbs  and  lungs,  would 
be  permitted  to  mount  above  the  clouds  and  stand 
"  close  to  the  sun  in  lonely  lands."  But  the  cog 
reduces  all  men  to  a  common  level  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  this  sublime  pleasure  without  physical  ex- 
ertion and  without  fatigue  of  any  kind.  Any  one 
able  to  travel  in  a  railroad-car  can  be  lifted  up  to 
the  strange  region  of  clouds  and  storms,  and  for  a 
few  hours  exist  in  the  heart  of  eternal  desolation. 
To  the  common-place  human  being  this  trip  is  a 
chapter  from  one  of  Jules  Verne's  romances.  The 
dullest  mind  is  susceptible  to  grand,  impressive  and 
poetic  fancies,  and  these  are  sure  to  be  aroused  and 
felt  by  the  experience  at  the  summit  of  Pike's 
Peak.  We  did  not  make  the  ascent  without  trepi- 
dation, knowing  that  the  altitude  seriously  affects 
some,  specially  those  whose  "too  solid  flesh  will 
not  melt "  (misquoted).  But  we  gritted  our  teeth, 
swallowed  the  lump  in  our  throat,  and  said  "  Pike's 
Peak  or  bust." 

Difficult  indeed  is  the  task  of  attempting  even  to 
describe  what  may  be  seen  from  the  train  ascend- 
ing Pike's  Peak.  A  picture  for  the  mind  of  the 


COLORADO    SPRINGS,    PIKE  S    PEAK,    ETC.       103 

varied  tints  and  colors,  and  constantly-changing 
panorama,  can  reach  it  only  through  the  human 
eye.  The  lower  terminus  of  the  cog-wheel  road  is 
situated  at  the  mouth  of  Engleman's  Canon,  the 
sides  of  which  are  formed  by  the  slopes  of  Manitou 
Hiawatha  Mountains.  Rushing  through  the  canon, 
Ruxton  creek,  a  sparkling  mountain  stream,  swiftly 
flows  beside  us,  dashing  madly  on  over  massive 
boulders  and  forming  numberless  cascades  and 
waterfalls  far  below.  Its  source  is  the  perpetual 
snow,  and  we  follow  it  for  two  and  three-quarter 
miles.  There  are  many  scenes  and  points  of  inter- 
est en  route  up  the  Peak.  A  short  distance  from 
the  starting  point  are  Shady  Springs,  hidden  under 
the  slope  of  the  massive  mountain  upon  which  rest 
Gog  and  Magog.  To  the  right  is  the  Lone  Fish- 
erman, who  patiently  waits  at  the  top  of  the  north- 
ern wall  of  the  canon.  Now  we  enter  the  Great 
Pass,  where  we  see  Echo  Falls,  named  from  the 
echo  rocks  above,  from  the  high  walls  of  which  the 
sound  of  dashing  waters  is  distinctly  reverberated. 
Just  beyond  is  the  natural  creek  tunnel,  an  arched 
waterway  formed  by  the  fallen  boulders  through 
which  the  stream  flows.  Passing  the  stupendous 
Hanging  Rock,  that  makes  us  shudder  lest  it  lose 
its  equilibrium  at  that  very  moment,  we  are  soon 
at  Artist's  Glen,  from  where  a  good  view  of  the 
Garden  of  the  Gods  may  be  had. 


IO4  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

Next  on  the  right  is  Plum  Pudding  (like  mother 
used  to  make);  on  the  left  the  Turtle  and  Punch, 
and  passing  through  a  natural  gateway  we  come  in 
view  of  Minnehaha  Falls.  Here  is  a  picturesque 
group  of  Swiss  cottages  set  among  the  pines,  and 
occupied  by  pleasure-seekers.  Lizzard  Rock,  Pin- 
nacle Rock,  Devil's  Slide,  the  Elk's  Head,  the 
Fleuride  gold-mine  are  left  behind,  and  we  sud- 
denly come  upon  the  Half- Way  House,  a  comfor- 
table hotel  situated  in  a  beautiful  grove  at  the  foot 
of  Grand  View  Rock.  Here,  a  short  stop  is  made, 
and  several  passengers,  fearing  bad  effects  from  the 
altitude  at  the  summit,  leave  the  car.  Only  a  few 
being  overburdened  with  avoirdupois  tissue,  which 
is  an  unfavorable  condition  in  high  altitudes,  re- 
main with  those  ambitious  to  reach  the  summit. 

On  we  go,  up,  up  through  the  narrow,  rugged 
walls  of  Hell's  Gate,  and  enter  the  verdant  Ruxton 
and  Aspen  Parks,  over  which  Bald  and  Sheep 
Mountains  stand  as  sentinels.  Here,  for  two  and 
a  quarter  miles  a  comparative  level  stretch  is  trav- 
eled and  a  good  view  of  Grand  Old  Mountain  is 
had;  as  we  are  almost  under  the  summit  we  gain  a 
better  view  of  the  altitude  than  from  any  other 
point  of  view.  Our  train  makes  a  stop  for  water, 
as  there  is  before  us  the  longest  and  steepest  in- 
cline on  the  road,  winding  around  the  southern 
side  of  the  mountain.  As  we  ascend,  the  moun- 


THE  MOUNTAIN-CLIMBER. 


MRS.  RILEY  PICKNICKING  IN  THE  ROCKIES. 


COLORADO    SPRINGS,    PIKE'S   PEAK,    ETC.       IO5 

tains  to  the  east  seem  to  sink  until  they  become 
mere  foothills,  and  our  view  to  the  east  and  south 
becomes  more  extended.  From  Inspiration  Point, 
we  see  far  below  us  a  glacial  lake  covering  no 
acres,  and  glacial  rocks,  upon  which  are  marks 
showing  the  unmistakable  action  of  ice  in  ages 
past.  These  rocks  are  Mount  Baldy  and  Mount 
Garfield,  Bear  Creek  Canon  and  the  Southern 
Mountains. 

After  passing  Timber  Line  (11,578  ft.),  we  cross 
a  great  field  of  broken  rock,  in  which  are  small 
areas  where  enough  soil  is  found  for  some  small 
mosses  and  many  low  Alpine  plants  to  take  root; 
and  here,  in  season,  there  is  a  profusion  of  these 
tiny  flowers,  which  one  could  hardly  expect  to  find 
at  such  a  high  altitude.  At  Windy  Point  we  get 
our  first  western  view,  and  are  but  a  short  distance 
from  the  summit,  which  is  reached  one  hour  and  a 
half  after  leaving  Manitou.  The  world  is  now  be- 
fore us,  and  rare  indeed  would  be  the  art  that  could 
picture  to  the  soul,  unaided  by  the  sense  of  sight, 
the  unapproachable  magnitude  of  the  view  that 
now  greets  the  bewildered  eye.  Spread  out  before 
us  is  a  mighty  panorama  of  40,000  square  miles. 
To  the  east  is  a  gay  confusion  of  buffalo  plains, 
streams  and  flowering  fields  dotted  over  with  vil- 
lages and  cities.  Colorado  Springs,  Manitou  and 
the  Garden  of  the  Gods  are  at  our  feet,  and  look 


IO6  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

like  flower-beds.  To  the  south  are  Seven  Lakes, 
the  Raton  Mountains  of  New  Mexico,  and  the 
famous  Spanish  Peaks;  the  cities  of  Pueblo,  Flor- 
ence, Canon  City  and  Altman — the  highest  min- 
ing town  in  Colorado — and  the  Arkansas  Valley 
and  Cripple  Creek. 

To  the  west,  protruding  itself  above  the  clouds, 
is  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Range,  spreading  out  its 
sheet  of  perpetual  snow,  and  freshening  the  air  that 
one  breathes  with  the  vigor  it  stimulates.  Buffalo, 
Blanca,  Ouray,  Harvard,  Princeton,  Yale,  Holy 
Cross  and  Elbert  Peaks  are  in  this  direction  at  dis- 
tances varying  from  60  to  150  miles.  To  the  north 
are  the  abyss,  Gray  and  Long's  Peak,  and  Denver 
Castle  Rock  and  Manitou  Park  in  the  Continental 
Divide.  Few  persons,  comparatively,  know  the 
sensation  of  looking  from  a  mountain  top  over 
thousands  of  miles  of  the  earth's  surface;  and  to 
those  few  who  have  realized  this  sensation,  it  af- 
fords an  indelible  recollection,  one  of  the  experi- 
ences of  a  lifetime  cherished  on  memory's  brightest 
page.  The  barometer  here  stands  about  17  inches, 
and  water  boils  at  184  degrees  Fahrenheit.  Can 
you  wonder  then  that  the  human  body  and  human 
mind  in  these  conditions  manifest  new  feelings? 
One  feels  that  he  must  get  on  his  knees  and  wor- 
ship the  Great  God  of  Nature,  the  Great  First 
Cause  of  all  this  grandeur  and  sublime  splendor. 


COLORADO    SPRINGS,    PIKE'S   PEAK,    ETC.       IO7 

At  the  summit  of  the  peak  is  located  the  United 
States  Signal  Station  building,  the  highest  obser- 
vatory in  the  country.  It  was  built  in  1882,  but 
is  not  in  operation  now.  On  the  summit,  there  is 
one  lonely  grave,  covered  with  rocks,  the  plain 
wooden  headstone  bearing  this  inscription :  "  In 
memory  of  Mary  O'Keefe,  daughter  of  John  and 
Kate  O'Keefe,  who  was  eaten  by  rats,  1876."  Tra- 
dition says,  Mary  O'Keefe,  losing  her  way  in  the 
mountains,  sank  down  exhausted  and  was  eaten  by 
mountain-rats. 

A  popular  fad  of  those  who  reach  the  summit  of 
Pike's  Peak  is  to  telegraph  to  their  friends,  or  send 
them  a  Pike's  Peak  illustrated  postal  card.  These 
are  ten  cents  each,  and  the  writing  is  in  a  very 
shaky  hand.  This  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  when 
one  is  in  the  clouds  and  can,  in  reality,  "  push  dem 
clouds  away  "  with  one's  hands.  The  greater  won- 
der is  that  he  can  write  at  all. 

One  of  the  party  was  an  old  man  from  Iowa, 
aged  70  years.  He  had  started  at  seven  o'clock  in 
the  morning  to  walk  from  Manitou  up  the  peak. 
It  was  too  much  for  him,  and  we  took  him  aboard 
at  the  Pike's  Peak  News  office.  It  was  then  ten 
a.  m.  and  he  had  walked  to  the  altitude  of  9,699 
feet.  We  talked  with  him,  and  congratulated  him 
on  his  ambition  and  nerve.  He  said  he  had  not 
done  so  much  after  all,  for  the  day  previous  a  man 


IO8  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

and  a  woman  from  Kansas,  carrying  an  eight- 
months  old  baby,  had  walked  to  the  summit.  Not 
knowing  anything  about  Kansas  endurance,  we 
presumed  these  people  must  have  been  English. 
The  idea  of  walking  up  to  an  altitude  of  14,147 
feet  is  not  to  be  despised,  but  to  carry  a  baby  is 
quite  an  unusual  feat. 

The  Pike's  Peak  Daily  News  is  published  by  an 
enterprising  woman,  and  is  sold  to  those  on  the 
train  at  10  cents  a  copy,  except  to  the  clergy  and 
newspaper  fraternity;  to  these,  who  are  numbered 
with  the  blest,  it  is  presented  gratis.  Happily  we 
are  in  the  latter  category.  The  paper  contains  the 
names  of  those  who  visit  the  peak  daily.  You  give 
your  name  as  you  make  the  ascent;  returning,  you 
buy  the  paper,  name  and  all.  Quick  work,  isn't 
it?  But  nothing  astonishes  you  in  Colorado,  after 
you  have  been  here  a  while.  It  is  altogether  a 
swift  place,  and  in  its  bright  lexicon  of  get-at-ive- 
ness,  there  are  no  such  words  as  "  can't "  or  "  fail." 

The  first  ascent  to  the  peak  was  made  July  I4th, 
1819.  It  has  been  stated  that  the  first  woman  to 
stand  on  the  summit  of  Pike's  Peak  was  Mrs.  James 
Holmes,  who  is  said  to  have  reached  the  summit 
August  5th,  1858. 

Mrs.  Samuel  J.  Riley  is  also  a  claimant  for  the 
distinguished  honor  of  having  been  the  first  woman 
to  reach  the  summit  of  the  Peak,  and  it  seems 
highly  probable  that  she  was. 


COLORADO    SPRINGS,    PIKE'S   PEAK,    ETC.       IOO, 


Mrs.  Riley,  nee  Mollie  Devinney,  was  born  in 
Kentucky,  and  was  one  of  three  sisters  who  married 
Kent  county  (Maryland)  men. 

Mr.  Devinney,  Mrs.  Riley's  father,  moved  with 
his  family  from  Kentucky  to  St.  Joseph,  Missouri, 
and  here  the  three  sisters  met  the  three  Kent 
county  men,  who,  at  different  times  drifted  there, 
and  finally  married  them,  a  rather  striking  coinci- 
dence in  everyday  life.  One  of  these  men  was 
Samuel  J.  Riley,  the  husband  of  the  woman  said  to 
have  been  the  first  to  mount  the  summit  of  Pike's 
Peak.  After  their  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Riley 
resided  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  when,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1874,  Mrs.  Riley  planned  a  visit  to  her 
younger  sister,  Mrs.  Joseph  Dozier,  who  resides  at 
Colorado  Springs.  During  her  visit,  Mrs.  Riley 
conceived  the  notion  of  making  the  ascent  to  the 
summit  of  Pike's  Peak.  She  was  a  frail,  delicate 
woman,  and  her  friends  and  relatives  attempted  to 
dissuade  her  from  making  the  trip,  believing  the 
hardships  and  trials  would  cause  her  death.  She 
was  a  woman  of  indomitable  will,  however,  and 
once  having  fixed  her  heart  and  mind  on  attaining 
a  goal,  was  determined  to  pursue  it.  She  started 
out,  therefore,  and  in  company  with  two  gentlemen 
friends,  she  made  the  trip  in  two  days  and  a  night 
without  the  slightest  harm  to  her  health,  and  this 
in  the  days  when  there  was  only  a  foot-path  up  the 


IIO  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

mountain  height.  The  superintendent  of  the 
Weather  Bureau  on  the  summit  told  Mrs.  Riley 
she  was  the  first  woman  who  had  made  the  ascent. 
Mrs.  Riley  married  a  nephew  of  Mr.  Marion  De 
Kalb  Smith,  of  Chestertown,  Maryland,  late  Comp- 
troller of  the  State  of  Maryland  from  1892  to  1896. 

She  was  a  very  ambitious  woman,  of  a  mild,  gen- 
tle disposition  and  lovely  character,  and  drew  about 
her  many  admiring  friends.  She  died  in  1881  in 
Texas,  where  her  husband  had  removed. 

In  the  picture — "  Mrs.  Riley  Picnicing  in  the 
Rockies  " — Mrs.  Riley  is  on  the  right,  holding  her 
infant  in  her  arms;  the  little  boy  below  is  her  son, 
and  the  little  girl  to  the  left,  in  the  plaid  dress,  is 
her  daughter.  In  the  centre  is  Mr.  Joseph  Dozier, 
and  to  the  left  Mrs.  Dozier,  Mrs.  Riley's  younger 
sister. 

To  Major  Zebulon  Pike,  is  due  the  honor  of  first 
describing  the  peak  which  now  bears  his  name. 
Nearly  a  century  ago  (to  be  exact,  November  5th, 
1806),  Major  Pike  first  beheld  the  "  Great  Snow 
Mountain."  Under  many  difficulties  and  hard- 
ships, Pike  and  some  of  his  soldiers  climbed  the 
intervening  hill,  and  viewed  the  frowning  battle- 
ments of  the  great  peak.  After  14  days'  climbing, 
without  succeeding  in  reaching  the  summit,  Pike 
was  discouraged  at  the  outlook  and  recorded  in  his 
diary,  "  no  human  being  could  ascend  to  the  sum- 


COLORADO    SPRINGS,    PIKE'S   PEAK,    ETC.       Ill 

mit."  We  should  like  to  know  his  feelings  to-day, 
could  he  see  the  tourists  who  reach  the  uttermost 
pinnacles  of  this  "  inaccessible "  mountain  by 
burro-trail,  mountain  wagon,  and  Pike's  Peak  cog- 
wheel railway. 

The  explorer,  whose  name  it  immortalizes,  never 
set  foot  at  its  base,  to  say  nothing  of  its  summit, 
but  as  he  first  printed  a  description  of  its  grandeur, 
the  credit  of  the  discovery  belongs  to  him.  Since 
its  discovery,  its  fame  has  steadily  increased,  and 
no  mountain  in  the  world  is  more  widely  known  to 
all  classes  and  conditions  of  men  than  Pike's  Peak. 
Occupying  as  it  does  a  commanding  position  in  the 
scenery  of  Colorado,  it  also  occupies  a  command- 
ing position  in  history  and  tradition.  At  its  foot 
rests  Manitou,  cradled  among  the  hills.  From  its 
snow-crowned  summit  descends  the  cooling 
breezes  which  render  this  favored  spot  a  delight  to 
all  visitors  whom  good  fortune  has  sent  thither. 
Here,  bubble  those  fabled  delicious  waters  of 
health-giving  springs — rivaling  in  efficacy  the 
Fountain  of  Perpetual  Youth,  which  Ponce  de 
Leon  strove  in  vain  to  find,  and,  at  last,  still  bravely 
searching,  lost  that  life  which  he  had  dreamed  to 
make  immortal. 

One  meets,  in  traveling  for  scenery,  a  great  many 
very  nice  people.  Our  passengers  up  the  cog 
numbered  44,  among  them  several  from  England, 


112  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

Germany,  Paris  and  two  gentlemen  from  Copen- 
hagen, Denmark.  One  of  these  was  Dr.  Alex. 
Paulsen,  chief  of  the  military  hospital  at  Copen- 
hagen, in  which  there  are  500  beds  for  sick  and  dis- 
abled soldiers.  His  companion,  one  Mr.  Lauritz 
Dahle,  and  the  doctor  were  "  doing  "  this  country. 
They  had  started  out  from  the  Atlantic  coast  and 
were  working  their  way  to  Balboa's  broad  and 
peaceful  Pacific  and  the  Golden  Gate,  whence 
they  go  to  Honolulu,  Hong  Kong,  Java  and  Mal- 
ta, returning  to  Denmark  in  April.  "  What  do  you 
think  of  our  country?  "  we  asked  Mr.  Dahle.  "  It 
is  grand,  lovely,"  was  the  reply.  "  I  like  Washing- 
ton and  Chicago,  but  New  York  best.  In  New 
York  it  is  so  fine.  I  like  the  idea  that  the  gentle- 
men here  are  not  allowed  to  smoke  in  public  build- 
ings." This  was  something  that  we  did  not  know. 
"  The  Americans,"  he  continued,  "  are  the  very 
cleverest  people  in  the  world.  I  think  you  think 
so  yourself,  too." 

At  this  we  smiled  a  very  conscious  broad  smile. 
We  Americans  all  think  we're  clever,  and  that's  a 
fact.  Continuing  in  his  praise  of  our  grand  old 
country  he  said :  "  The  people  here  are  enterpris- 
ing, energetic,  but  very  nervous,  very  nervous  in- 
deed." We  felt  inclined  to  say,  "  tell  us  something 
we  don't  know,"  for  nervousness  in  our  race  is  a 
self-evident  fact.  "  Colorado  is  grand,"  Mr.  Dahle 


nHKB^F* 


PIKE'S  PEAK  FROM   THE  GARDEN  OF  THE  GODS-THE  GATEWAY. 


COLORADO    SPRINGS,    PIKES   PEAK,    ETC.       113 

continued,  "  It  is  the  most  beautiful  State  we  have 
visited  in  your  country."  "  It  is  our  Switzerland/' 
we  said,  "  do  you  think  it  compares  with  yours?  " 
"  Yes,  oh  yes,"  was  the  reply,  "  it  is  just  as  beauti- 
ful, these  mountains  are  more  beautiful  than  the 
Alps  which  may  be  more  snow-capped,  but  the 
scenery  of  which  is  no  better.  This  is  a  grand 
mountain  (referring  to  Pike's  Peak),  the  scenery 
here  is  magnificent."  "  But  tell  us  of  your  own 
country,"  we  asked,  "  tell  us  of  Denmark."  "  Den- 
mark has  2,000,000  inhabitants,  the  oldest  people 
in  Europe  live  there.  We  have  no  black  people. 
I  like  to  see  them  here,  they  interest  me.  We  have 
not  many  Jews  either.  There  are  no  common 
schools  there  for  children  whose  parents  are  not 
able  to  pay  to  educate  them,  but  those  who  are 
able  to  pay  must  bear  the  expense.  Our  taxes  are 
three  per  cent  of  our  annual  income.  We  have  a 
good  climate  and  beautiful  forest." 

"Are  your  winters  very  severe?"  we  asked. 
"  No,  not  very,"  was  the  reply,  "  there  is  not  much 
ice  and  little  skating."  Referring  to  exports,  Mr. 
Dahle  said  that  England  gets  most  of  her  butter 
from  Denmark.  "But  what  are  you  writing? " 
was  the  astonished  query  of  our  new  acquaintance 
of  the  cog-wheel  railway,  "  do  you  belong  to  the 
newspaper  fraternity?  "  We  soothed  his  fears  by 
telling  him  we  had  that  honor,  and  he  became  as 
close-mouthed  as  an  oyster  while  we  continued 
8 


114  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

"  taking  notes."  Asking  the  impression  that  our 
people,  individually,  made  upon  the  foreign  tourist, 
we  received,  hesitatingly,  the  reply  that  the  average 
American  endeavored  to  make  extortionate  charges 
on  the  foreigner  traveling  in  this  country,  and  sev- 
eral cases  were  cited  in  illustration.  To  use  Ameri- 
can parlance,  these  gentlemen  from  Denmark  said 
our  countrymen  tried  to  "  do  "  them  at  hotels,  for 
carriage-hire,  and  so  forth,  and  that  this  trait  gave 
America  a  black  eye  abroad.  We  fancy  it  is  "  tit 
for  tat  "  when  we  visit  them,  and  there  is  a  sort  of 
evening  up,  after  all. 

In  conclusion,  what  shall  we  say  of  Pike's  Peak? 
We  have  failed  to  describe  its  glorious  splendor,  for 
description  fails  when  the  writer  is  human  and  the 
subject  so  sublime.  Its  summit  would  attract  the 
eye  anywhere,  its  foot  hidden  in  verdurous  hilis. 
guarded  by  knightly  crags,  half  buried  in  seething 
clouds,  its  helmet  vertical,  frowning,  plumed  with 
gleaming  snow.  The  tourist  realizes  that  he  has 
reached  that  height,  "  around  whose  summit 
splendid  visions  rise."  Pike's  Peak,  shining  grand- 
ly out  of  the  pure  ether,  above  all  turbulence  and 
strife,  seems  to  say :  "  Humble  thyself,  O  man ! 
Uncover  thy  head,  forget  not  that  as  high  as 
gleams  the  splendor  of  this  everlasting  mountain 
above  thy  gilded  spires,  so  are  the  thoughts  of  its 
Creator  above  thy  thoughts,  His  ways  above  thy 


CHAPTER  X. 

COLORADO  SCENERY — GRAND  CAVERNS — WILLIAMS 

CANON — THE  GARDEN  OF  THE  GODS CAVE 

OF  THE  WINDS GLEN  EYRIE. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Manitou,  Nature  is  in 
her  most  majestic  mood.  A  series  of  grand  per- 
spectives attract  and  charm  the  tourist.  Driving 
up  Ute  Pass,  we  visit  Grand  Caverns,  and  they  have 
their  proper  names,  for  they  are  indeed  grand.  The 
Caverns  are  located  up  Agate  Mountain  in  Ute 
Pass,  near  the  heart  of  Manitou. 

They  have  been  opened  to  the  public  since  1885, 
during  which  time  120,000  visitors  have  passed  the 
portal  to  inspect  the  weird  and  wonderful  crea- 
tions of  Nature.  Following  a  short  passage-way, 
we  were  taken  over  a  road  hewn  through  massive 
boulders,  into  the  rotunda  or  vestibule,  where  we 
got  a  first  glimpse  of  the  subterranean  wonders, 
while  from  this  chamber  radiate  the  various  ave- 
nues to  the  mystic  chambers  beyond. 

In  the  vestibule  are  to  be  found  forms  of  rare  and 
curious  workmanship,  stalactites  and  stalagmites  of 
alabaster,  and  other  translucent  compositions. 


Il6  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

Leaving  the  vestibule,  a  passage  is  followed 
through  Canopy  avenue,  in  which  are  found  the  re- 
mains of  the  prehistoric  occupants  of  the  Caverns. 
Alabaster  Hall,  radiant  with  sparkling  fountains 
and  marvelous  adornments,  is  a  paradise  of  splen- 
dor. Stalactite  Hall,  which  adjoins  this,  is,  as  its 
name  implies,  made  up  of  figures  of  diversified 
shapes,  which  hang  from  the  ceiling  with  corre- 
sponding growths  from  below,  many  of  these  meet- 
ing in  marble  embrace,  the  completion  of  which 
must  have  occupied  countless  ages. 

The  Narrows,  a  short  and  sinuous  passage-way, 
leads  on  to  the  Opera  House,  where  attractions  are 
replete  in  dazzling  array.  Concert  Hall  presents 
varied  attractions  which  dazzle  and  mystify  the  be- 
holder. The  ceiling  is  high  and  majestic,  the  walls 
and  arches  being  symmetrical  as  though  fashioned 
by  a  master  hand.  Perched  on  a  natural  balcony 
on  one  side  is  the  organ,  marvelously  wrought,  and 
composed  of  thin  stalactites,  tuned  to  an  almost 
perfect  gamut.  Here,  a  musician  regales  the  visi- 
tor with  selections  on  this  natural  instrument.  The 
impression  one  receives  of  Grand  Caverns  is  of 
something  mighty,  unreal  and  supernatural.  Leav- 
ing Grand  Caverns,  we  proceed  to  Williams  Canon, 
the  drive  to  which  is  a  miracle  among  mountain 
roads.  Temple  Drive  to  this  canon  is  carved  and 
blasted  from  the  corrugated  and  "  impossible  "  side 


COLORADO    SCENERY. 


of  the  mountains.  It  now  presents  with  its  solid 
stone-walled  sides,  railway  of  heavy  timber,  and 
even,  easy  grade  as  located  by  the  engineers,  the 
safest  and  most  interesting  drive  in  the  mountains 
of  Colorado. 

Williams  Canon,  located  as  it  is  amid  scenic 
grandeur  and  panoramic  picturesqueness,  is  indeed 
beautiful.  It  is  under  the  cap  of  the  mountains, 
every  knob  and  peak  of  which  possesses  a  peculiar 
charm  for  the  traveler.  Here,  there  are  castles  and 
fortifications  chisseled  out  in  by-gone  ages.  The 
side  walls  of  the  canon  are  several  hundred  feet 
high,  and  almost  perpendicular.  The  rock  has 
been  washed  and  eroded  in  every  conceivable  form 
and  shape.  Through  beautiful  Williams  Canon 
and  Temple  Drive,  we  approach  the  Cave  of  the 
Winds,  this  wonder  of  wonders,  whose  revelations 
of  Nature's  freaks  and  fancies  is  beyond  the  highest 
possible  conception,  or  most  extravagant  expecta- 
tions. The  Cave  of  the  Winds  was  discovered  by 
two  boys,  aged  n  and  14,  respectively,  who,  play- 
ing in  the  mountains  about  Williams  Canon,  saw 
the  opening  and  ventured  into  it.  They  told  their 
exploits,  and  further  investigation  followed.  The 
result  was,  the  land  was  purchased  by  two  men,  who 
developed  and  improved  the  roadway  leading  to 
the  Cave,  and  explored  the  mystery  of  this  under- 
ground palace.  The  original  owners  are  now  num- 


Il8  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

bered  with  those  who  "  sleep  the  sleep  that  knows 
no  waking,"  and  their  wives  are  possessors  of  this 
veritable  gold-mine.  The  guide  told  us  the  re- 
cords this  season  showed  an  enormous  number  of 
visitors,  those  of  a  single  day,  on  one  occasion, 
numbering  750.  When  the  admission-fee  is  $i, 
you  can  appreciate  what  it  means  to  take  in  $750 
per  day. 

It  was  the  close  of  the  season  when  we  "  took  in  " 
the  Cave,  or  it  took  us  into  its  subterranean  em- 
brace, and  on  that  day  there  had  been  60  visitors. 
This  was  considered  a  very  poor  day,  but  we 
thought  $60  a  day  good  earnings. 

But,  not  to  digress — the  first  chamber  we  enter 
is  Entrance  Hall.  Its  dimensions  are  50  x  50,  with 
a  ceiling  8  to  10  feet  high.  Passing  on,  we  enter 
Curtain  Hall,  a  room  40  or  more  feet  long,  10  to 
12  feet  wide  and  15  feet  high.  This  room  is  singu- 
larly ornamented  with  stalactite,  and  other  forma- 
tions; a  very  fine  formation  of  calcite  on  one  of  the 
walls  is  known  as  the  "  Curtain."  The  coloring  of 
this  is  more  beautiful  than  if  painted  by  hand,  and 
when  seen  under  bright  rays  of  magnesium  light, 
its  beauty  is  beyond  power  of  man  to  describe.  We 
next  enter  Canopy  Hall,  which  is  nearly  300  feet 
long,  40  feet  high  and  averages  30  feet  in  width. 
The  ceiling,  side  walls  and  floor  are  well  covered 
with  calcite.  The  side  walls  are  very  rugged  and 


COLORADO    SCENERY.  119 

the  floor  slightly  uneven.  This  "  Hall "  is  pro- 
fuse in  ornamentation.  Here  are  to  be  seen  Sta- 
lactite Niche,  Bed  of  Cauliflowers,  Frescoed  Ceil- 
ing, Lake  Basin,  Grandma's  Skillet,  Bats  Wings, 
Xenophon,  Fringe  of  Stalactite,  Prairie-Dog  Vil- 
lage, and  Fairy  Scene,  all  in  this  one  room  of  the 
cave.  In  this  chamber,  the  picture  of  wings  over- 
hanging, images  on  the  ceiling,  the  stalactites,  the 
indented  rugged  walls,  all  these,  and  the  awful  still- 
ness of  it  all,  is  ghoulish  in  the  extreme.  From 
here,  we  pass  into  a  subterranean  crooked  way 
called  Boston  avenue,  because  of  its  resemblance 
to  the  crookedness  of  the  streets  of  "  The  Hub." 
At  the  further  end  it  widens,  and  is  ornamented 
with  overhanging  walls  and  beams,  and  side  rooms 
and  chimneys,  indicating  the  great  activity  of  the 
water  which  doubtless  caused  it. 

Turning  to  the  right,  we  come  to  Diamond  Hall. 
This  is  90  feet  long,  12  feet  high  and  10  or  more 
feet  wide.  The  ceiling  is  indented  and  so  finished 
as  to  be  arched,  with  here  and  there  domes,  and  the 
whole  frescoed  and  adorned  with  beautiful  wreathes 
of  crystal  and  coral,  which  have  been  forming 
throughout  countless  ages.  In  the  brilliant  mag- 
nesium light  which  the  guide  carries,  every  inch  of 
the  walls  of  this  room  sparkles  and  scintillates,  each 
conceivable  color  and  shade  giving  perfectly  the 
effects  to  the  walls  of  diamond  mosaic  work.  This 


I2O  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

room  is  indeed  very  appropriately  called  Diamond 
Hall. 

From  here,  we  go  to  the  grand  art  gallery  of  the 
Cave,  named  Hall  of  Beauty.  This  matchless  pal- 
ace of  pearl  enraptures  the  visitor,  and  no  language 
is  extravagant  enough  to  express  our  praise,  when 
beholding  the  wondrous  works  of  nature  here, 
where  translucent  stalactites  of  alabaster,  with 
drops  of  water  trembling  on  their  tips,  sparkling 
like  myriads  of  diamonds,  greet  us.  Cryptal 
flowers  of  the  most  exquisite  workmanship  hang  in 
festoons  from  every  crevice  and  corner.  Sparkling 
encrustations,  reveling  in  beauty,  the  hoar  frost  of 
the  Arctic  regions,  and  glittering  like  dew-drops 
in  the  morning  sun,  are  seen  on  every  side.  The 
aesthetic  decoration  of  the  great  arched  ceilings 
of  Gothic  and  Greek  architecture,  with  their  per- 
fect domes  and  castles  wreathed  and  entwined  with 
sparkling  flowers  of  the  most  delicate  mould  and 
beautiful  designs,  is  past  all  description. 

Passing  on  to  the  further  end  of  the  Hall  of 
Beauty,  the  visitor  is  greeted  by  a  pandemonium  of 
outlandish  contortions,  rightly  named  Dante's  In- 
ferno. Next  we  enter  the  Bridal  Chamber.  Here, 
the  curious  has  run  riot.  It  beggars  description. 
On  the  floor  of  this  Babel-like  apartment,  amid 
stately  statuary,  we  find  a  beautiful  bride,  and  Lot's 
Wife,  while  circling  around  in  ghoulish  glee  on  the 


COLORADO    SCENERY.  121 

ceiling  and  casement,  are  wreathing  reptiles,  danc- 
ing devils,  acrobatic  monkeys,  beasts  and  birds  of 
every  form,  all  in  riotous  postures.  Airy  creatures 
here  mingle  with  those  of  the  infernal  regions,  rep- 
resenting both  pandemonium  and  paradise.  In 
this  chamber,  the  geologist  is  puzzled  and  lost  in 
reflection,  the  poet  is  inspired  and  the  painter  has 
a  study  before  him.  The  weird  wildness  and  con- 
tortions one  sees  here,  are  sights  never  to  be  for- 
gotten. One  is  amazed,  awed  and  thrilled  with  a 
sense  of  reverence,  and  feels  that  he  should  bend 
his  knee  in  adoration.  One  loves  all  the  world 
when  beholding  such  sights,  and  would  even  hug 
his  mother-in-law,  were  she  here,  so  great  is  his 
wild  happiness  at  having  been  blessed  with  the 
privilege  of  witnessing  such  a  marvelous  sight,  and 
he  commiserates  those  unfortunates  who  have  not 
seen  it. 

Next,  we  enter  Crystal  Palace.  Not  more  antip- 
odal are  the  scenes  just  described  and  those  of  the 
chamber  adjoining  known  as  Crystal  Palace.  These 
comprise  four  rooms  closely  connected,  which  are 
in  reality  a  casket  of  gems  and  jewels,  and  are  the 
very  climax  of  all  that  goes  to  embellish,  decorate 
and  beautify  a  cave.  Here  we  saw  the  flowering 
alabaster  in  its  perfection.  Unlike  the  gravity  sta- 
lactites, which  grow  from  dripping  water,  this  form 
crystallizes  from  the  atmosphere.  The  walls  and 


122  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

ceilings  are  closely  malted  or  veneered  with  pure 
white  alabaster.  The  spurs  or  needles  from  one  to 
two  and  a  half  inches  long,  and  in  clusters,  resemb- 
ling chrysanthemums  or  chestnut-burrs,  stand  out 
from  the  surface  in  the  most  graceful  profusion 
and  as  thickly  as  grass  upon  a  lawn.  These  fade- 
less flowers  of  crystal,  interlooped,  entwined  and  in- 
terlaced into  gorgeous  wreaths  and  faultless  fes- 
toons of  prettiest  patterns,  bright  and  brilliant, 
glittering  and  startling,  deck  and  grace  this  peer- 
less palace.  We  must  not  neglect  to  mention  the 
Reception  Hall  in  the  Cave  of  the  Winds,  where  in 
every  conceivable  niche  there  are  hundreds  and 
thousands  of  visiting  cards,  left  here  by  those  who 
visit  this  wonderfully  beautiful  subterranean  palace. 
As  long  as  memory  lasts,  we  will  recall  with 
intense  pleasure  this  feast  to  the  vision — this  rare 
combination  of  the  sublime  and  the  beautiful. 

Our  next  visit  was  to  the  Garden  of  the  Gods. 
No  one  knows  exactly  why  this  valley  was  named 
the  Garden  of  the  Gods.  There  is  nothing  espe- 
cially garden-like  in  its  appearance,  but,  doubtless 
through  "apt  alliteration's  artful  aid,"  the  name 
has  become  greatly  popular,  and  it  would  now  be 
foolish  to  quarrel  with  it  or  make  any  attempt  to 
change  it  after  all  these  years.  There  are,  how- 
ever, suggestions  on  every  hand  that  Titanic  forces 
have  been  at  work  here,  and  it  requires  but  little 


COLORADO    SCENERY.  123 

imagination  to  ascribe  these  innumerable  quaint 
sculpturings,  these  magnificent  architectural  rock 
marks,  these  grand  and  imposing  temples  not  made 
with  hands,  to  the  agencies  of  the  gods.  Here  are 
to  be  found  carved  in  stone  by  those  cunning  in- 
struments of  nature — the  wind,  the  rain,  the  snow, 
the  frost,  the  sunbeam — curious  and  often  gro- 
tesque figures,  irresistibly  suggestive  of  forms  of 
life.  Now,  one  sees  the  statue  of  liberty  leaning  on 
her  shield,  with  the  conventional  Phrygian  cap  on 
her  head;  over  there,  is  a  gigantic  frog  carved  in 
sandstone;  yonder,  is  a  pilgrim,  staff  in  hand. 
Groups  of  figures  in  curious  attitudes  are  to  be  seen 
on  every  hand.  The  lion,  the  seal,  the  elephant, 
are  all  here,  and  indeed,  a  lively  imagination  is  not 
needed  to  discover  in  this  Garden  of  the  Gods  an 
endless  variety  of  imitative  forms  of  human  beings, 
of  birds,  beasts  and  reptiles.  All  of  these  figures 
possess  curious  interest,  and  attract  wondering  at- 
tention, but  the  notable  and  majestic  objects  are 
the  Great  Gateway  and  the  Cathedral  Spires. 

Two  lofty  tablets  of  carnelian-colored  sand- 
stone, sit  directly  opposite  each  other,  about  50 
feet  apart,  and,  rising  to  a  height  of  330  feet,  form 
the  portals  of  the  far-famed  Gateway.  Rising  as 
they  do  from  perfectly  level  ground,  these  up- 
thrusts  present  a  strangely  impressive  spectacle. 

The  Cathedral  Spires  are  of  a  similar  character 


124  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

to  the  Gateway,  but  their  crests  are  sharply  splin- 
tered into  spire-like  pinnacles.  The  striking  con- 
trast formed  by  these  crimson  crags,  outlined 
against  the  deep  blue  sky  and  gilded  by  the  high 
white  lights  of  the  unclouded  sun  of  Colorado,  can- 
not be  described. 

Paintings  have  been  made  in  which  artists  strove 
for  this  effect,  but  the  result  was  bizarre  and  garish. 
Art  cannot  reproduce  it.  What  appears  crude  and 
violent  in  colors  on  canvas,  appears  strong,  bril- 
liant and  harmonious  when  beheld  in  nature.  In 
the  Garden  of  the  Gods,  solitude  is  unbroken  by  the 
residence  of  man,  but  we  found  here  inanimate 
forms  of  stone,  quaint  and  grotesque  suggestions 
of  human  life.  Here  were  hints  of  Athens  and  the 
Parthenon,  Palmyra  and  the  Pyramids,  Karnac  and 
her  crumbling  columns. 

After  their  form,  the  most  striking  feature  was 
their  color,  which  glows  with  an  intensity  of  red, 
unknown  in  any  of  the  sandstones  of  the  East.  It 
is  impossible  to  describe  the  weirdness  of  this  won- 
derful garden,  which,  once  beheld,  can  never  be 
forgotten.  One  has  the  impression  of  something 
mighty,  unreal  and  supernatural.  It  is  truly  a 
Garden  of  the  Gods,  but  of  the  gods  of  the  Norse 
Walhalla  in  some  of  their  strange  outbursts  of  wild 
rage  and  uncouth  playfulness.  The  scene  is  theat- 
rical, and  highly  spectacular.  The  rocks  here  have 


COLORADO    SCENERY.  125 

I 

gone  masquerading  in  all  sorts  of  queer  costumes 
and  characters.  If  one  could  live  here  for  months, 
he  might  find  language  flowing  in  its  proper  chan- 
nels and  be  able  to  describe  the  savage  grandeur  of 
the  sight. 

But  one  must  hold  his  breath  in  the  first  stupor 
of  astonishment,  and  words  are  useless,  worse  than 
useless  to  attempt  such  a  picture  as  the  Garden  of 
the  Gods  presents  in  its  outlying  wildness  and 
"  ruinous  perfection."  To  fully  understand,  one 
must  see  for  himself  these  relics  of  ruined  strata, 
these  fanciful  images  of  things  seen  and  unseen, 
which  stand  thickly  over  hundreds  of  acres  like 
mouldering  ruins  of  some  half-buried  city  of  the 
desert.  There  is  little  of  tenderness  or  delicate 
carving;  these  ghastly  rents  and  seams  are  tragic, 
and  the  grandeur  of  it  all  is  terrible  and  gruesome 
rather  than  beautiful.  In  the  Garden  of  the  Gods, 
one  feels  that  he  is  in  the  holy  of  holies,  that  he  is 
on  the  confines  of  another  world,  and  that  the  veil 
that  divides  him  will  soon  be  rent  asunder. 

' '  Here  the  New  West  its  wealth  unlocks, 

And  tears  the  veil  aside, 
Which  hides  the  mystic  glades  and  rocks 

The  Red  Man  defied. 
This  greenwood  girt  with  tongue  and  flame, 

With  spectral  pillars  strewn, 
Not  strangely  did  the  savage  name 

A  haunt  of  gods  unknown." 


126  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

Leaving  the  Garden  of  the  Gods,  we  visited  Glen 
Eyrie,  the  site  of  a  private  residence  owned  and  oc- 
cupied in  summer  by  General  Palmer,  whose  winter 
residence  is  in  New  York.  Glen  Eyrie  is  a  most 
interesting  glen,  and  although  not  open  to  the  pub- 
lic, tourists  are  permitted  to  drive  through  the 
grounds  every  day  except  Sunday.  It  is  situated 
in  Queen  Canon;  and  the  character  of  the  mono- 
liths in  this  canon  are  even  more  wonderful  than 
those  of  the  Garden  of  the  Gods.  The  Major  Do-mo 
is  a  column  of  red  sandstone,  rising  to  a  height  of 
300  feet,  with  a  curious  swell  near  the  summit, 
which  far  exceeds  in  diameter  the  base  of  the  shaft. 
It  looks  as  though  it  might  fall  at  any  moment  in 
obedience  to  the  laws  of  gravity.  The  effect  of 
one  standing  under  the  Major  Domo  is  said  to  be 
the  same  as  when  standing  beneath  the  Leaning 
Tower  of  Pisa,  Italy. 

We  neglected  to  mention  the  Balancing  Rock  at 
the  entrance  of  the  Garden  of  the  Gods.  This  huge 
rock  is  balanced  in  a  manner  opposed  to  all  laws  of 
stable  equilibrium,  and  is  an  object  of  special  inter- 
est to  the  tourist,  and  a  favorite  spot  for  photo- 
graphing one's  self  on  a  burro. 

Having  seen  so  much  of  this  world's  grandeur,  of 
the  everlasting  hills,  of  nature  in  her  most  majestic, 
capricious  and  fanciful  moods,  of  savage  wilder- 
ness, of  the  beautiful  and  sublime,  the  gruesome 


COLORADO    SCENERY.  127 

and  grotesque,  of  all  in  nature  that  is  full  of  sur- 
prises and  pleasure,  it  was  indeed  difficult  for  the 
writer  to  descend  to  the  commonplace,  and  when 
we  did  come  out  of  the  clouds  it  was  with  a  dull 
thud.  For  once,  we  wished  ourselves  a  poet  that 
we  might  invoke  the  muses  and  lay  a  rhythmic  of- 
fering on  the  altar  of  their  shrine,  thus  immortal- 
izing the  picturesqueness  of  lovely  Colorado,  one 
of  the  newest  portions  of  the  new  world. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

DENVER'S  ODDITIES  AND  PECULIARITIES — SOME 

STRIKING  FEATURES  OF  THE  COMMON- 
PLACE   ORDER. 

It  will  not  do  to  say  farewell  to  Denver  and  Colo- 
rado without  a  few  notes  and  incidents  that  present 
themselves  to  the  eastern  tourist  here,  and  which, 
coming  under  no  particular  head  are,  therefore,  un- 
classified. 

Passing  along  the  streets  of  Denver,  one  is  at- 
tracted by  the  peculiar  names  on  some  of  the  signs 
above  doors  and  windows  of  various  business  es- 
tablishments. While  waiting  for  a  car  one  day  at 
a  prominent  street  corner  there,  we  were  gazing  at 
the  beautiful  Colorado  sky,  the  color  of  which  has 
its  perfection  in  this  State,  very  probably  because  of 
the  rarefied  air.  While  admiring  the  bluest  of  blue 
skies,  our  attention  was  attracted  to  the  building 
opposite,  on  which  was  the  sign  "  Cool  and  High." 
Now  why  it  should  be  cooler  just  midway  that 
building,  we  could  not  imagine,  for  it  certainly  was 
not  so  high  as  others  near  by.  On  inquiry  we  were 
told  Cool  and  High  was  the  firm  who  did  business 
there. 


I29 

This  oddity  of  names  kept  us  on  the  qui  vive  for 
others,  some  of  which  we  remembered  as  follows : 

A  firm  doing  business  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
city  is  Love  and  Joy;  another  man  is  "  A.  Beggar." 
A  tailor  on  Main  street  has  his  sign  out  "  A.  Swin- 
dler, Tailor."  We  are  told,  few  tailors  will  ac- 
knowledge the  same.  On  inquiry,  we  found  this 
particular  tailor's  name  is  Adam,  which  he  invari- 
ably abbreviates  with  "  A."  for  he  claims  it  is  bad 
enough  to  be  A.  Swindler,  without  having  to  be 
Adam  Swindler. 

Then,  there  is  a  Fannie  Toogood,  a  milliner, 
here.  Isn't  it  too  bad  she  is  too  good  for  a  milli- 
ner? One  Mr.  Leadbeater  has  his  sign  out  as  a 
plumber.  His  name  is  almost  as  appropriate  to 
his  business,  as  are  those  of  the  firm  of  Salmon  and 
Trout,  who  are  fish  dealers  here  in  Denver.  Now, 
since  Mr.  J.  M.  Salmon  and  Mr.  S.  L.  Trout  are 
in  the  fish  business,  who  dares  reiterate  with  the 
Bard  of  Avon  that  "  there  is  nothing  in  a  name?  " 

We  gazed  at  a  sign  in  the  window  of  a  popular 
shoe-store  for  a  long  time,  deliberating  whether  we 
should  walk  in  and  take  any  risks.  The  sign  read, 
"  Any  man,  woman  or  child  can  have  a  fit  inside — 
walk  in."  Now,  the  writer  objects  to  having  a 
fit  anywhere,  whether  inside  or  out,  and  the  sign 
struck  us  forcibly. 

Aside  from  peculiar  signs  and  odd  names,  there 
9 


130  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

were  other  things  that  attracted  our  attention  along 
the  line  of  the  commonplace  in  Denver.  Although 
we  have  traversed  nearly  the  entire  city,  we  have 
yet  to  see  shutters  on  any  of  the  houses — inside  or 
outside.  These  eye-lid  appendages  to  our  eastern 
homes  are  altogether  unknown  in  Denver.  The 
people  seem  to  have  no  use  for  them  whatever. 
And,  as  to  the  houses  themselves,  one  has  to  go 
miles  to  find  a  frame-house.  We  do  not  recall 
having  seen  a  single  one,  but  are  told  some  of  the 
oldest  houses  here  are  frame.  There  is  a  law 
against  building  a  frame-house  in  Denver,  which 
has  been  in  existence  some  years  past.  That  is  the 
reason  one  sees  only  brick  or  stone  houses. 

Speaking  of  the  Denver  houses,  reminds  me  of 
what  President  Harrison  said  when  visiting  Den- 
ver, a  few  years  ago,  as  the  guest  of  the  G.  A.  R. 
of  this  city.  In  his  address  before  a  large  assem- 
blage, the  President  said,  in  part:  "You  have 
fine  public  buildings  and  elegant  business  houses, 
but  your  homes  and  your  schools  appeal  to  me  as 
the  most  distinctive  features  of  your  city.  These 
homes  and  schools  tell  me  what  the  people  of  Colo- 
rado are." 

To  return  to  the  schools — the  Whittier  School, 
at  the  corner  of  Twenty-fifth  and  Marion  streets, 
occupies  a  whole  block.  It  has  desk  room  for 
i, 600  pupils,  and  has  enrolled  1,480.  There  are  33 


rooms  in  the  building  and  33  teachers.  Although 
the  school  attendance  is  1,480  (a  little  colony  in 
itself),  yet  the  order  is  such  that  the  near-by  resi- 
dents are  scarcely  conscious  of  the  recess  hour,  or 
when  the  school  is  dismissed.  It  is  a  great  sight 
to  witness  the  dismissal  of  the  Whittier  school,  the 
largest  in  Denver.  The  western  people  think  so 
much  of  their  schools  and  the  education  of  their 
children  that  there  are  many  jokes  at  their  expense. 

Driving  through  an  isolated  district  of  the  State, 
we  remarked  to  the  driver  on  the  location  of  a 
handsome  little  school-building,  where  there  was 
not  a  house  to  be  seen  anywhere.  "  Oh,  that's 
nothing,"  said  the  driver,  "  why,  we  have  a  school 
out  here  where  the  whole  shooting  match  belongs 
to  one  family."  "How  is  that?"  we  asked.  "Well, 
you  see,  the  husband  is  the  superintendent  of  the 
school;  his  wife,  the  teacher,  and  their  child,  the 
school."  Doubting  this  statement,  the  driver  de- 
clared he  could  prove  the  facts  in  the  case,  and 
even  went  so  far  as  to  say  that  after  a  while  the 
child  (the  capacity  of  this  school)  died,  and  the 
mother  scoured  the  country  to  find  another  child 
to  keep  up  the  attendance.  "  Oh,  yes,"  continued 
the  driver,  "  we're  obliged  to  have  schools  here  in 
this  State,  if  there  is  only  one  child  to  go  to  'em," 
and  we  took  his  word  for  it. 

There  are  so  few  colored  people  in  Denver  that 


132  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

there  is  no  provision  for  separate  schools  for  them, 
and  the  few  colored  children  are  admitted  to  the 
white  schools.  It  is  a  rare  thing  to  see  a  colored 
person  here,  and  in  over  two  months  the  writer 
cannot  recall  having  seen  more  than  a  half-dozen 
of  the  colored  race. 

Denver  has  no  markets.  All  marketing  is  done 
at  the  stores  and  "  meat-markets "  (as  some  of 
them  are  called),  where  meats  as  well  as  vegetables, 
pickles,  mountain  trout,  and  so  forth,  are  on  sale. 

One,  coming  to  Denver,  or  most  of  the  western 
cities,  has  to  learn  how  to  market  all  over  again. 
Here,  they  do  not  buy  tomatoes  or  fruit  by  the 
peck,  but  by  the  pound.  It  seems  rather  odd  to 
hear  purchasers  ask  for  a  pound  of  peaches  or 
pears,  but  that's  the  way  they  buy  fruit  here. 

There  are  no  cisterns  in  Denver.  The  water  is 
soft  and  delightful  for  drinking  as  well  as  for  all 
cleaning  purposes.  It  is  practically  melted  snow 
from  the  mountains.  The  manner  of  irrigating  the 
farms  here  has  peculiar  interest  for  the  Maryland- 
er,  where  there  is  rain  in  plenty  and  irrigation  is 
not  needed.  There  is  a  syndicate  which  operates 
the  irrigating  ditches.  These  are  run  in  every  di- 
rection, and  branch  off  to  the  various  truck-farms. 
Each  farmer  has  "  his  day  "  for  irrigating  his  land, 
and  on  these  occasions  the  gates  are  opened  and 
the  land  watered,  for  which  privilege  and  luxury  he 
pays  so  much  per  inch  (not  linear,  of  course). 


DENVER'S  ODDITIES.  133 

Ashes  are  not  gathered  up  by  the  garbage  man 
in  Denver,  but  each  house  is  furnished  with  an  ash 
pit  at  the  rear  of  the  back  yard.  These  queer  look- 
ing arrangements  lead  the  stranger  to  inquire  as 
to  their  usefulness,  for  they  have  the  appearance 
of  the  old-fashioned  bake-oven,  built  of  brick  and 
mortar.  The  ashes  are  deposited  here,  and  here 
they  remain  sometimes  for  six  months  and  longer, 
and,  even  then,  on  removal,  are  often  found  to  be 
alive.  The  nature  of  the  coal  here  is  said  to  be  the 
cause  of  this.  Soft  coal  sells  here  for  $3  per  ton. 
It  conies  from  the  mountains  in  the  State  and  does 
not  smut,  and  its  ashes  are  white. 

Referring  to  the  delightful  climate,  we  were  told 
there  is  a  town  62  miles  from  Denver  where  there 
were  but  three  mornings,  from  July  to  October, 
when  there  was  no  frost.  Every  town  has  its  pro- 
vincialisms, and  Denver  is  no  exception.  We  were 
surprised  to  hear  a  carving-knife  called  a  "  butcher- 
knife."  The  creeks  are  called  "  cricks,"  and  all 
baggage  is  spoken  of  as  "  luggage."  But  the 
queerest  of  all  is  that  a  farm  is  called  a  "  ranch," 
and  there  are  numerous  jokes  on  the  Easterner, 
who  expects  the  ranch  to  be  anything  else  than 
what  it  is.  A  popular  lawyer  in  Denver  tells  a 
story,  the  truth  of  which  he  vouches  for,  and  being  a 
lawyer  we  dared  not  doubt  his  veracity  in  the  least. 

He  says,  a  gentleman  who  came  out  to  Denver 


134  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

from  Pennsylvania,  being  pleased  with  the  city, 
went  back  for  his  family  to  locate  here.  He  at 
once  became  an  object  of  interest  to  his  acquaint- 
ances, who  thought  it  wonderful  that  any  man  in 
those  early  days  had  crossed  the  plains  to  that  far- 
away country  of  the  Rockies  and  returned  alive. 
He  was  queried  on  all  sides;  and  one  fellow  was  par- 
ticularly anxious  to  know  how  travelers  lived  out 
there  on  the  plains,  what  they  subsisted  on,  and  so 
forth.  The  gentleman  told  him  they  were  in  no 
danger  of  starving  as  there  was  plenty  to  eat. 
"  How  do  you  get  it,  out  on  those  barren  plains?  " 
was  the  inquiry.  "  There  are  numerous  ranches 
along  the  road,"  was  the  reply.  "  Ranches,  eh? 
Do  you  encounter  these  ranches  frequently?  "  He 
was  assured  that  there  was  a  ranch  at  least  every 
five  or  ten  miles  along  the  road  all  the  way  across 
the  plains  to  Denver.  "  Ranches !  "  the  Easterner 
again  exclaimed  with  a  puzzled  expression.  "  See 
here,  are  these  ranches  a  very  difficult  game  to 
shoot?" 

For  cycling,  Denver  leads  the  procession.  There 
are  more  wheels  to  the  square  inch  here  than  in 
any  other  city  in  the  United  States.  Everybody 
rides  a  wheel — men,  women  and  children.  There 
are  said  to  be  over  40,000  wheels  here.  The  sur- 
face is  so  level,  the  air  so  buoyant,  and  the  rainy 
days  almost  unknown,  that  cycling  is  as  great  a  fad 
in  Denver  to-day  as  it  ever  has  been  anywhere. 


DENVER'S  ODDITIES.  135 

Bicycles  literally  overrun  things,  and  they  are 
used  in  every  line  of  business.  Street-car  com- 
panies say  they  have  lost  $1,000,000  annually  in 
traffic  since  bicycles  have  become  the  rage. 

In  fact,  one  company  went  into  the  hands  of  a 
receiver  two  years  ago,  alleging  that  the  universal 
wheel  had  impaired  its  earnings  to  such  an  extent 
that  it  could  not  meet  its  interest  demands.  The 
open  weather  and  the  fine,  natural  roads  are  largely 
responsible  for  the  popularity  of  the  wheel,  for  it 
is  conceded  that  ordinary  riders  can  use  their  wheels 
daily  for  fifty  weeks  out  of  the  fifty-two  and  not 
suffer  any  annoyance  from  mud  or  snow.  Add  to 
this  the  fact  that  neither  lights,  brakes  nor  bells  are 
required  and  the  agility  of  the  non-rider  in  taking 
care  of  himself  can  be  appreciated. 

Denver  is  also  said  to  be  the  only  city  in  the 
country  where  the  bicycle  vote  controls  elections 
on  municipal  issues. 

We  cannot  vouch  for  the  authenticity  of  this, 
but  we  were  told  that  a  young  lady,  standing  on 
the  veranda  of  her  home  on  a  popular  thorough- 
fare, in  five  minutes  counted  900  wheels  passing. 
Most  women  here  ride  diamond  frames,  and  noth- 
ing is  thought  of  it.  Nearly  all  lady  riders  wear  the 
divided  skirt 

Denver  boasts  a  woman  superintendent  of 
schools.  Her  name  is  Emma  M.  Hery,  and  she 


136  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

had  been  a  teacher  in  Denver  schools.  Miss  Hery 
is  23  years  old,  of  charming  personality,  being  a 
fine  talker  and  a  delightful  writer.  She  is  an  active 
member  of  the  Denver  Woman's  Press  Club,  and 
has  done  some  fine  writing,  having  taken  prizes  for 
her  short  stories.  When  the  bicycle  craze  first 
struck  Colorado,  Miss  Hery  learned  to  ride,  and 
she  was  so  delighted  with  the  experience  that  she 
at  once  wrote  "  A  Love  Story  on  Wheels."  Miss 
Hery  is  a  staunch  Democrat,  and  was  elected  on 
the  straight  Democratic  ticket  by  a  plurality  of 
2,818.  Her  opponent,  also  a  woman,  had  a  strong 
following. 

Visitors,  that  we  should  call  "  green  "  or  "  hay- 
seeds "  in  the  East,  are  here  called  "  pilgrims  "  and 
"  tenderfeet."  We  fear  the  verdancy  of  our  east- 
ern innocence  has  long  since  classed  us  in  this  cate- 
gory. It  took  the  writer  some  little  time  to  find 
out  what  a  burro  is.  We  heard  them  talked  of 
quite  a  little  before  we  realized  a  burro  is  only  an- 
other name  for  donkey,  or  "  Colorado  Canary 
Birds "  as  they  are  called.  They  are  very  useful 
in  climbing  the  mountains,  and  must  get  their 
name  from  the  manner  in  which  they  burrow  their 
feet  into  the  mountain  pass  or  burro-trail,  and  thus 
take  a  secure  footing.  They  are  safe  climbers  and 
sure-footed.  They  know  every  inch  of  their 
ground. 


DENVER'S  ODDITIES.  137 

There  are  four  leading  newspapers  in  Denver. 
Shades  of  get-in-the-push  journalism,  deliver  us 
from  Annapolis'  multiplicity,  where  there  are  a 
half-dozen  or  more !  Denver's  papers  are  The  Re- 
publican, The  Rocky  Mountain  News,  The  Post  and 
The  Times.  All  are  progressive  and  up-to-date 
newspapers,  and  each  sells  for  five  cents  per  copy. 
Think  of  it — five  cents.  That's  making  money, 
isn't  it?  It  nearly  took  our  breath  when  we  pur- 
chased copies  of  the  various  newspapers,  and  were 
asked  a  nickel  for  each.  We  indignantly  walked 
off,  exclaiming  something  about  our  eastern 
papers  selling  for  a  penny  and  being  a  great 
deal  better.  One  thing  that  struck  us  about 
these  Denver  papers  was  that  no  advertisements 
ever  appear  on  the  first  page.  We  rather  like 
this  idea,  and  agree  with  the  western  editor 
who  says  "  ads."  on  the  first  page  spoil  the  appear- 
ance of  the  paper.  But  for  news,  these  western 
papers  are  not  equal  to  ours.  So  far  as  Maryland 
is  concerned,  she  might  as  well  be  wiped  off  the 
map,  for  there  is  never  any  news  in  Denver  papers 
from  Maryland.  How  we  longed  to  see  even  a 
weather  report  from  "  Maryland,  My  Maryland," 
but  longed  in  vain.  We  took  the  liberty  to  tell  a 
newspaper  man  here  that  our  Baltimore  Sun,  the 
leading  organ  in  newspaperdom  in  Maryland,  con- 
tained, not  only  local  and  State  news,  but  news 


138  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

from  every  part  of  the  United  States,  even  Denver; 
and  that  Denver  papers  wanted  to  take  lessons  in 
progressive  journalism  from  our  Baltimore  Sun. 

Women,  in  Denver,  take  as  much  interest  in  pol- 
itics as  men.  Perhaps  we  should  qualify  this  by 
saying  some  women.  As  we  stated  in  a  previous 
chapter,  they  are  privileged  to  vote  on  all  municipal 
and  State  matters,  and  several  of  them  are  judges 
of  election. 

We  were  not  a  little  amused  to  see  barouches 
filled  with  ladies  driving  about  the  city,  preparing 
for  their  fall  campaign.  They  had  displayed  a  con- 
spicuous cover  on  their  horses,  informing  the  pub- 
lic they  were  for  "  Bryan  and  Free  Silver."  Great 
interest  was  manifested  in  the  fall  election  in  Den- 
ver, when  a  vote  to  buy  its  own  water-plant  was 
taken.  An  ordinance  has  been  passed  by  the  city 
council  compelling  the  car  company,  The  Denver 
Tramway,  to  heat  all  of  its  cars  during  the  winter 
season. 

A  young  lady  from  the  East  visiting  Denver  de- 
clared she  was  an  A  No.  i  cake-maker.  Her  hos- 
tess gave  her  an  opportunity  to  demonstrate  her 
ability  in  that  line.  The  cake  was  a  failure.  Moral 
— Cake  cannot  be  made  in  Denver  as  it  is  made  in 
Annapolis  or  Baltimore.  Less  butter  and  less 
sugar  are  required  here,  because  of  the  altitude, 
which  is  one  mile  above  sea-level,  and  which  ma- 
terially affects  the  baking. 


DENVER  S    ODDITIES.  139 

One  does  not  expect  to  find  such  fine  stores  and 
business  houses  so  far  West  as  he  sees  here.  Every- 
thing that  can  be  procured  East  may  be  purchased 
here  for  almost  the  same  money.  We  were  par- 
ticularly impressed  with  the  elegant  display  in  one 
of  the  leading  furniture  houses  here,  that  of  Coop- 
er, Powell  and  Shaw.  The  very  latest  and  hand- 
somest furniture  of  all  kinds  was  displayed,  the 
"  Dutch  Marquetry "  being  the  latest  and  most 
unique  in  bed-room  furniture.  Prices  compare 
favorably  with  those  of  the  East,  although  the 
freight  so  far  West  is  a  big  consideration.  We  had 
the  distinguished  pleasure  of  sitting  in  a  chair  that 
cost  $150,  and  which  had  been  sold  to  a  Denver 
lady,  whose  reception  room  it  is  to  adorn.  We  re- 
marked to  the  salesman  that  if  it  cost  $150  to  sit 
down,  we  would  prefer  standing  the  rest  of  our 
natural  life. 

There  is  something  about  these  western  people 
that  commends  itself  to  one  from  the  East,  some- 
thing that  invites  admiration.  The  Easterner's 
pride  is  provincial.  He  sends  out  no  invitations  to 
his  fellow-countrymen  to  come  and  dwell  within 
his  gates.  The  Westerner  is  different.  He  blows 
his  own  horn,  and  wants  the  outside  world  to  have 
a  finger  in  the  pie  he  has  made.  He  has  long  since 
lived  down  the  idea  that  "  too  many  cooks  spoil  the 
broth."  "  The  East  is  a  good  place  to  be  born," 


I4O  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

some  one  has  said,  "  but  the  West  is  a  better  place 
to  grow."  One  seems  to  sprout  here.  There  is 
something  in  the  climate  or  the  altitude  favorable 
to  expansion — not  of  the  imperialistic  sort,  how- 
ever. Here  the  field  is  less  circumscribed,  and 
more  conducive  to  the  sprouting  tendency,  which 
is  latent  in  those  who,  like  the  writer,  have  been 
born  into  this  vale  of  tears  with  an  interrogation 
point  behind  them. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

KANSAS   CITY — THE   MID-CONTINENT  METROPOLIS — ITS 
EARLY   HISTORY — ANOTHER   CITY   OF   PHENOM- 
ENAL GROWTH — ITS  LOCATION  AND  CLI- 
MATE— A  GOOD  PLACE  TO  LIVE  IN. 

Leaving-  Denver,  a  night  and  day's  ride  over  the 
popular  Rock  Island  route,  brings  one  to  the  me- 
tropolis of  the  mid-continent,  Kansas  City,  a  city 
the  growth  of  which  is  almost  as  astonishing  as  that 
of  the  "  Queen  City  of  the  Plains."  While  the 
growth  of  Kansas  City  has  also  been  "  phenome- 
nal," yet  it  has  been  healthy,  natural  and  is  now  a 
continuous  growth. 

During  the  first  year  of  the  war,  business  in 
Kansas  City  was  at  a  standstill,  no  money  was  in 
circulation,  and  the  municipality  was  paying  its 
debts  in  shin-plasters.  As  the  government  began 
to  issue  paper  money,  a  good  deal  of  it  was  sent 
here  to  pay  the  soldiers.  This  revived  matters 
somewhat,  and  during  1863  quite  a  number  of  wag- 
ons were  loaded  for  the  Mexican  trade. 

In  September,  1864,  General  Price  made  his  cele- 
brated raid  through  Missouri.  He  swept  through 


I42  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

the  counties  on  the  south  of  the  Missouri  river, 
driving  all  before  him  till  he  came  to  the  crossing 
of  the  Blue,  about  seven  miles  east  of  Kansas  City. 
Here,  he  was  met  and  disastrously  defeated  by  the 
Kansas  and  Colorado  troops  under  General  Curtis, 
when  he  fled  south  into  Arkansas.  This  was 
known  as  the  battle  of  Westport.  Had  Price  suc- 
ceeded in  forcing  a  passage  to  Kansas  City,  he 
would  have  been  met  by  the  entire  male  population 
of  the  town,  behind  fortifications  which  they  had 
thrown  around  the  city  in  all  directions. 

In  1864,  the  latter  part  of  the  year,  the  railroad 
fever  was  started  by  the  opening  of  a  railroad  from 
Kansas  City  to  Lawrence,  and,  at  the  close  of  hos- 
tilities, Kansas  City  was  rapidly  recovering  her 
ground.  However,  the  panic  of  1873  and  the  lo- 
cust plague  of  Kansas  City  in  1874,  hurt  Kansas 
City's  trade  to  a  great  extent.  But  misfortunes  are 
often  pioneers  of  fortune.  The  people  of  Kansas 
City  were  compelled  to  buy  wheat  for  consump- 
tion in  Iowa  and  Missouri;  and  the  grain  market 
of  Kansas  City,  then  in  its  infancy,  received  a  great 
impetus  by  being  made  the  handler  of  this  wheat. 

With  the  balance  of  the  country,  Kansas  City,  in 
1876,  began  to  progress  with  great  strides,  which 
continued  steadily  up  to  the  collapse  of  the  "boom" 
in  1887-88.  Then  the  panic  of  1893  came.  The 
people  here  were  too  anxious  to  get  rich  in  a  hurry, 


KANSAS    CITY.  143 

and  while  many  are  striving  to  attain  riches  to-day, 
yet  they  are  taking  time  to  enjoy  the  pleasures 
of  living,  which  one  cannot  buy  with  money. 

Business  here  to-day  is  being  done  on  a  safe  con- 
servative basis,  and  the  outlook  is  very  bright. 

Kansas  City  has  a  magnificent  railroad  system. 
Twenty-two  lines  enter  this  great  mart  and  trans- 
portation centre,  and  more  are  seeking  entrance. 
Some  cities  have  prospered  by  reason  of  their  nat- 
ural advantages,  and  some  cities  by  reason  of  their 
energy,  but  Kansas  City  owes  her  advancement  to 
both.  Geographical  position  and  transportation 
facilities  have  all  to  do  with  the  growth  of  a  city, 
and  Kansas  City  is  no  exception.  Here  was  the 
great  bend  of  the  mighty  Missouri  river  and  the 
mouth  of  the  Kaw. 

The  river  turned  north  and  the  overland  route 
turned  west  at  this  point.  It  was  the  meeting  and 
parting  place.  The  steamboats  and  the  prairie- 
schooners  came  together  and  separated  here.  All 
around,  400  miles  in  every  direction,  was  a  country 
marvelously  prolific  in  every  natural  resource,  and 
a  soil  rich  in  every  element  necessary  to  the  produc- 
tion of  everything  grown  in  a  warm  and  temperate 
climate.  Here  was  an  immense  alluvial  valley  700 
to  800  feet  above  the  sea,  500  miles  from  the  Great 
Lakes,  1,000  miles  from  the  Gulf,  1,500  miles  from 
the  Atlantic  and  2,500  miles  from  the  Pacific. 


144  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

Here  was  the  converging  point;  the  conditions 
existed;  Kansas  City  was  evolved.  The  early  his- 
tory of  Kansas  City  is  full  of  interest.  The  city  is 
said  to  have  been  founded  in  1821,  when  the  Amer- 
ican Fur  Company  established  a  supply  depot  here. 
This  was  done  on  account  of  the  city's  location  at 
the  junction  of  the  two  rivers.  In  these  early  days, 
as  now,  navigable  rivers  were  the  highways  of  com- 
merce. It  is  said,  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when 
the  Kansas,  Missouri,  Mississippi  and  Ohio  rivers 
will  be  the  great  highways  of  travel,  the  like  of 
which  has  not  been  seen  in  the  world's  history,  and 
Kansas  City  will  take  her  place  as  one  of  the 
world's  capitals. 

Some  one  has  prophesied  that  with  the  opening 
of  the  canal,  joining  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  Pa- 
cific Ocean  (a  clear  navigation  at  all  seasons  of  the 
year,  barring  ice,  from  Omaha  to  St.  Louis,  from 
St.  Paul  to  New  Orleans,  from  Pittsburgh  to  Cairo), 
Kansas  City  can  make  herself  the  world's  granary. 
Wheat,  corn,  pork  and  beef  are  what  the  world 
(man  and  his  domestic  family)  lives  on,  and  Kansas 
City  will  some  day  be  the  world's  greatest  market 
for  these  staples.  Kansas  City  gets  its  name  from 
the  Kansas  river,  which  flows  into  the  Missouri  at 
this  point,  and  the  Kansas  river  gets  its  name  from 
the  tribe  of  Indians  of  that  name  who  lived  in  this 
section.  The  Indian  pronunciation  of  the  name 


KANSAS    CITY.  145 

was  Kanzau,  from  which  the  abbreviation  "  Kaw  " 
comes.  The  French  explorers  wrote  the  word 
"  Kansas." 

In  1825,  the  Indians  surrendered  their  title  to 
the  land  on  which  Kansas  City  stands.  The  fol- 
lowing year,  Jackson  county  was  formed  with  Inde- 
pendence as  the  county  seat.  The  many  Indian 
tribes  that  were  sent  by  the  government  to  the  ter- 
ritory west  of  Missouri  made  Kansas  City  their 
trading  point.  This  was  a  great  support  to  the 
town  for  many  years.  In  1832,  the  Mormons  made 
settlements  at  Independence  and  Westport  Land- 
ing (as  Kansas  City  was  then  known),  but  a  year 
later,  the  citizens  drove  them  out  and  they  con- 
tinued their  march  westward.  In  1824,  when  trade 
was  established  overland  with  Mexico,  Kansas 
City  became  headquarters  for  fitting  out  the  wag- 
ons. Freight  was  carried  up  the  Missouri  and  un- 
loaded here.  The  fine  pasture  around  was  also  an 
inducement  to  the  freighters  to  feed  the  horses  and 
the  oxen.  This  trade  continued  until  the  advent 
of  the  railroads,  which  now  do  the  same  thing  as 
the  wagons,  carry  Kansas  City  products  and  wares 
throughout  the  entire  West  and  Southwest. 

In  1860,  Kansas  City  had  a  population  of  4,418; 
to-day,  its  inhabitants  number  250,000.  In  1860, 
Kansas  City  had  but  two  newspapers,  both  week- 
lies; to-day,  it  has  four  dailies — the  Journal,  the 

10 


146  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

Times,  the  Star  and  the  World — and  several  week- 
lies. No  city  has  made  greater  strides  under  more 
unfavorable  circumstances  than  Kansas  City.  Like 
most  other  cities,  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  in 
1 86 1  was  a  severe  blow,  its  people  having  already 
had  a  taste  of  the  coming  strife  in  their  border 
wars.  No  enmity  of  man  for  man  was  ever  keener 
than  that  developed  in  Missouri  and  Kansas  be- 
tween the  "Yankee"  settlers  from  the  East  and 
the  slave-owners.  Kansas  City  had  its  experi- 
ence already  in  the  free-soil  controversy  and 
Kansas  wars  of  John  Brown,  his  sympathizers  and 
followers.  The  city  had  a  majority  of  loyal  Un- 
ionists, but  being  in  a  hostile  state,  she  was  repeat- 
edly visited  by  bands  of  "  guerillas."  Trade  soon 
forsook  her  for  Leavenworth  and  Atchison,  and 
her  population  dwindled  to  one-half.  The  mayor, 
to  protect  the  citizens  from  the  secessionists,  was 
obliged  to  organize  a  regiment  of  United  States 
volunteers,  and  from  this  time  the  city  was  a  mili- 
tary post  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

Kansas  City  is  750  feet  above  sea-level,  while 
Denver  is  one  mile  above,  and  is  therefore  more 
than  seven  times  as  high.  Coming  from  Denver, 
the  difference  in  the  altitude  of  the  two  cities  is  very 
perceptible. 

Kansas  City  is  built  upon  hills,  and  it  is  difficult 
for  one  to  go  a  block  without  having  to  climb  one 


KANSAS    CITY.  147 

of  these  hills,  or  go  down  one  in  the  most  gingerly 
fashion  for  fear  one  will  lose  his  balance  and  topple 
over.  The  tourist,  coming  from  Denver,  with  its 
level  streets,  wonders  why  progressive,  enterpris- 
ing Kansas  City  does  not  have  a  "  shoot  the  chute  " 
arrangement  on  some  of  these  steep  grades,  or  a 
hoisting  machine,  by  which  the  more  weighty  of 
God's  creatures  may  be  lifted  up  and  down  without 
extraordinary  effort,  or  excessive  respiration. 

Because  of  the  steep  grades  throughout  the  city, 
there  are  few  electric  cars,  nearly  all  the  lines  being 
cable.  One  of  these  cable-lines  running  over  to 
Union  Depot,  goes  down  what  is  called  the  "in- 
cline " — we  should  be  inclined  to  call  it  perpendicu- 
lar, for  the  steep  grade,  running  over  a  trestle-work 
as  it  does,  reminds  one  of  coming  down  Pike's 
Peak.  To  the  uninitiated,  riding  down  the  "in- 
cline "  for  the  first  time  is  a  thrilling  experience, 
and  makes  one's  hair  stand  on  ends  like  "  quills 
upon  the  fretful  porcupine."  There  have  been 
accidents  here,  but  not  many,  and  the  greatest  care 
is  exercised  by  the  car  company  to  prevent  them. 

Kansas  City,  unlike  the  ancient  metropolis, 
Rome,  is  not  built  upon  seven  hills,  but  to  the 
writer  it  seemed  to  be  built  upon  seventy  times 
seven.  Because  it  is  built  upon  hills,  Kansas  City 
is  a  sort  of  rara  avis.  The  occupants  of  its  houses 
can  go  to  the  street  from  most  any  floor.  We 


148  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

were  not  a  little  amused  because  of  this  peculiar  fea- 
ture. When  visiting  one  of  the  public  buildings, 
we  entered  in  the  customary  way,  from  the  side- 
walk. After  "  doing "  the  ground  floor  of  the 
building,  we  ascended  the  stairs  and  were  shown 
the  sights  on  the  second  floor.  As  there  was  noth- 
ing to  be  seen  of  interest  above,  we  made  our  exit 
at  the  rear  of  the  second  floor  and  were  amazed  to 
find  ourselves  on  the  sidewalk  without  descending 
any  steps.  Remarking  on  this,  we  were  graciously 
informed  that  nearly  every  floor  of  the  buildings 
in  Kansas  City  was  on  a  level  with  the  street. 
From  personal  experience  in  climbing,  it  did  not 
take  us  long  to  find  this  an  apt  illustration  of  its 
hilliness. 

The  climate  of  Kansas  City  is  not  unlike  that 
of  Maryland.  In  its  normal  state  it  is  mild  and 
salubrious,  but,  like  the  little  girl  of  legendary 
lore,  whose  ungracious  qualities  we  paraphrase, 
when  it  is  hot,  it  is  very,  very  hot;  and  when  it  is 
cold,  it  is  horrid.  August  and  September  are  the 
warmest  months  here,  but  this  year  October  had 
her  "  innings."  She  wasn't  going  to  be  outrun 
in  the  race  with  the  mercury,  and  let  her  sisters, 
August  and  September,  outdo  her,  so  she  work- 
ed herself  up  to  fever  heat  and  above  it,  and  in 
the  middle  of  the  month  the  mercury  registered  94 
degrees.  "  Do  you  often  have  this  weather  in  Oc- 


KANSAS    CITY.  149 

tober?  "  we  asked  one  of  the  swear-by  oldest  inhab- 
itants. "  Oh,  no/'  was  the  quick  response,  "  this 
is  altogether  unusual,  we  haven't  had  a  hot  spell 
like  this  in  October  for  over  30  years."  Evidently, 
we  were  the  "  hoodoo,"  or  maybe  Kansas  City  was 
extending  us  an  unusually  warm  welcome;  but  we 
preferred  a  cooler  one,  especially  since  we  had  left 
Colorado  in  furs,  and  now  had  to  fish  out  of  the 
bottom  of  our  trunk  a  palm-leaf  fan  and  organdies. 
This  is  truly  a  great  country  where  one  can  travel 
from  the  temperature  of  one  zone  into  the  tem- 
perature of  another  in  the  space  of  a  night  and 
day.  On  the  I7th  of  last  October  there  was 
snow  on  the  ground  in  Kansas  City,  while  on 
the  1 7th  of  this  October  the  temperature  was 
in  the  nineties.  The  winters  here  are  unusually 
mild.  December  is  often  as  pleasant  as  May. 
Driving  is  indulged  in  at  Christmas  the  same  as 
any  other  time  in  the  year  as  a  pastime  and  a 
pleasure,  and  poultry  and  stock  can  find  outdoor 
pasture  nine  months  in  the  year.  Kansas  City,  like 
Annapolis,  is  a  healthful  place  to  live  in.  Her  death- 
rate  is  small  compared  with  other  cities  of  her  size. 
Kansas  City's  death-rate  per  thousand  as  compared 
with  that  of  some  other  cities  is :  Memphis,  24;  New 
Haven,  20;  Baltimore,  19;  Cambridge,  18;  St. 
Louis,  17;  Hartford,  17;  Reading,  14;  Dayton,  O., 
12;  Kansas  City,  10;  Denver,  10. 


150  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

To  the  geologist,  Kansas  City  is  extremely  inter- 
esting. Its  vicinity  is  interlaid  with  what  geolo- 
gists term  the  upper  coal  measures.  Although 
these  do  not  furnish  coal,  they  furnish  limestone 
and  sandstone  for  building  purposes,  and  also 
shales,  fine  clays  and  mineral  paints.  The  city  has 
unlimited  stone  quarries,  the  veins  of  which  are 
from  1 6  to  18  feet  thick.  The  bluff,  or  loess  forma- 
tion, has  a  thickness  of  some  80  feet;  the  clay  from 
it  makes  excellent  brick. 

Much  of  the  limestone  is  hydraulic,  and  cement 
is  made  from  it.  Kansas  City  has  within  itself  all 
the  facilities  for  building  houses.  There  is  also 
plenty  of  wood  in  the  vicinity,  and  some  one  has 
said  there  are  groves  and  groves  of  from  30-  to  50- 
year  trees,  within  10  miles  of  Kansas  City,  that 
would  furnish  all  the  interior  finishings  builders 
would  want.  It  is  said,  in  this  same  territory  wood 
is  given  away.  The  Kansas  City  people  don't  burn 
enough  wood  to  make  it  an  object  of  interest  for 
the  country  people  to  haul  it  to  town. 

Kansas  City  is  of  prehistoric  interest.  In  the 
masses  of  earth  that  have  been  hauled  away  from 
the  hills  in  building  the  city,  all  sorts  of  curious 
relics  have  been  found.  Skeletons,  one  of  which 
was  eight  feet;  and  many  of  the  bones  found  were 
in  masses  of  charcoal,  tending  to  show  that  crema- 
tion was  practiced  even  in  those  early  days.  Axe- 


KANSAS    CITY. 


heads,  flint-heads,  and  portions  of  stone-houses 
have  been  found  in  digging  away  these  hills  on 
which  Kansas  City  is  built.  To  its  first  settlers, 
the  site  of  Kansas  City  presented  a  very  rugged  as- 
pect. High  bluffs,  towering  up  from  the  river, 
here  and  there  seamed  by  deep  ravines,  certainly 
appeared  a  very  uninviting  place,  upon  which  to 
build  a  city. 

The  early  settlers,  however,  never  dreamed  that 
their  own  town  would  extend  farther  than  the  level 
ground  beyond  the  river.  This  ground  is  not  now 
sufficient  to  accommodate  the  railroads,  which 
have  formed  a  belt,  encircling  the  entire  city: 
also  Kansas  City,  Kansas,  the  city  across  the 
river,  the  name  of  which  was  formerly  Wyandotte. 
Kansas  City  has  now  22  railroad  systems,  with  58,- 
225  miles  of  track.  It  has  two  more  roads  than 
Chicago.  The  first  railroad  coming  into  Kansas 
City  was  the  Missouri  Pacific.  It  commenced 
building  from  St.  Louis  on  July  4th,  1850,  and 
reached  Kansas  City  in  September,  1865. 

Kansas  City's  railroads  traverse  30  States  and 
Territories.  14  roads  own  their  own  terminals, 
and  there  are  1,550  miles  of  switch-track  in  the  city. 
190  passenger-trains  and  337  freight-trains  arrive 
and  depart  daily  from  Kansas  City.  Between  5,000 
and  6,000  men  are  employed  by  the  railroad  here, 
and  an  average  of  118,000  tons  of  freight  is  hauled 
daily. 


152  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

Kansas  City,  being  practically  at  the  centre  of 
this  great  spider-web  of  tracks,  has  the  real  control 
of  the  business  originated  there,  and  is  the  gateway 
through  which  must  pass  all  passenger  and  freight 
business  for  this  territory.  The  advantages  afford- 
ed by  the  shipping  facility  and  passenger  conveni- 
ence can  be  appreciated  thoroughly  only  by  those 
who  realize  the  volume  of  trade  of  the  southwest 
section.  Having  more  railroads  than  Chicago,  and 
the  area  covered  by  them  being  more  extended,  and 
more  largely  and  variedly  productive  than  the  area 
penetrated  by  the  Chicago  lines,  Kansas  City's  fu- 
ture is  not  in  doubt. 

If  she  ever  expects  to  catch  up  with  Chicago, 
however,  she  must,  like  her,  get  water-transporta- 
tion. All  great  cities  in  the  world's  history  have 
been  built  where  they  could  reach  the  outside  world 
by  ships  and  steamers.  There  is  no  exception  to 
this  rule,  either  in  ancient  or  modern  times.  What 
have  the  cities  of  Glasgow  and  Manchester  done  to 
bring  the  ships  of  the  world  to  them?  What  did 
the  State  of  New  York  do  at  Hell  Gate,  and  New 
Orleans  with  her  levees?  What  is  Russia  doing  to 
connect  her  seas?  Instances  without  limit  can  be 
cited  to  show  how  important  water-navigation  is 
considered  to  the  successful  commerce  of  a  city. 

Water-navigation  is  the  handmaiden  of  railroad- 
transportation.  When  we  can  navigate  the  Mis- 


KANSAS    CITY.  153 

souri  river,  the  western  roads  will  not  have  to  pay 
that  large  tariff  to  the  eastern  lines  in  order  to  get 
their  consignments  to  the  seaboard;  the  Missis- 
sippi will  not  be  the  dividing  line  on  the  "  long 
haul,"  but  will  be  the  starting  and  ending  point, 
and  the  western  roads  will  dictate  tariffs  to  the 
eastern.  The  West  dictates  in  politics,  and  so  it 
will  also  in  conveyance  and  transportation,  which 
are  virtually  making  the  price  of  food-products  for 
the  world.  Kansas  City,  as  we  have  said,  is  built 
upon  hills.  Coming  from  the  East,  we  should  be 
tempted  to  call  them  mountains,  had  we  not  seen 
those  towers  of  Colorado,  the  Rockies;  these  of 
Kansas  City  are,  however,  only  bluffs. 

The  city  has  cut  her  streets  through  these  bluffs, 
leaving  them  20  to  50  feet  high,  to  be  subsequently 
lined  with  residences  and  gardens,  which,  when 
completed  in  its  entirety,  will  make  the  city  pictur- 
esque to  a  degree.  This  makes  the  city  drainage 
perfect,  and  there  is  hardly  any  necessity  to  flush 
the  sewers,  although  it  is  done.  There  was  con- 
siderable newspaper  comment  recently,  during  the 
long  spell  of  dry  weather,  about  the  necessity  of 
flushing  the  sewers,  and  arrangements  had  been 
made  by  municipal  authorities  with  the  fire  de- 
partment to  do  the  work.  A  good  soaking  rain 
came,  however,  after  a  drought  of  six  weeks,  and 
there  was  no  need  of  flushing. 


154  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

The  public  square  of  Kansas  City  is  a  relic  of 
border  times,  when  towns  were  built  as  forts  around 
an  open  square  for  the  purpose  of  defense.  It  is 
also  copied  from  the  Mexican  style  of  laying  off 
towns. 

All  that  can  be  done  is  being  done  by  Kansas 
Cityans  to  make  their  city  a  good  place  to  live  in. 
The  days  of  a  struggling  new  town,  where  all  are 
after  the  acquisition  of  the  dollar,  is  a  thing  of  the 
past.  Society  here  is  charming.  It  is  not  the  "  so- 
ciety" which  belongs  to  the  old  regime,  the  de- 
scendants of  which  are  a  long  string  of  aristocratic, 
titled  relatives  besides  their  own  immediate  fam- 
ily, and  no  money  in  the  pockets  of  any  of  them; 
but  a  society  of  intelligence  and  education  has 
grown  up,  and  has  impressed  its  ideas  upon  the 
people,  so  that  the  public  purse  has  been  made  to 
pay  for  the  grandest  improvements.  Kansas  City 
society  stands  for  something.  It  is  wide  awake, 
active,  expanding  in  policy  and  progressive  in  its 
men  and  methods,  and  from  the  time  of  its  incip- 
ient foundation  its  motto  has  been  "  Onward." 

Kansas  City's  society  men  are  its  leading  busi- 
ness men.  They  are  wide  awake  and  progressive, 
and  believe  their  city  is  on  another  "  boom."  In- 
deed Kansas  City  is  always  booming.  The  people 
say  it  came  into  the  world  on  a  boom,  and  has  con- 
tinued booming  ever  since,  but  this  particular 


KANSAS    CITY.  155 

boom  that  is  on  just  now,  is  to  be  the  best  boom  of 
all.  When  her  system  of  parks,  which  will  encircle 
the  entire  city,  is  completed,  Kansas  City  will  in- 
deed be  a  very  pretty  city.  Since  she  has  relegated 
her  smoky  factories  and  packing  houses  to  the  bot- 
toms and  placed  her  residence  streets  conveniently 
far  away  upon  the  hills,  there  will  be  nothing  to 
mar  her  picturesqueness;  and  fresh  air  and  the  scent 
of  green  foliage  will  be  free.  She  has  every  mod- 
ern convenience — electricity;  cheap  telephones; 
steam-heat-furnished  houses  and  flats  for  rent;  car 
service,  reaching  by  transfer  all  parts  of  the  town 
for  five  cents;  stores,  displaying  the  produce  and 
manufactures  of  every  country  and  clime;  horse- 
markets;  free  libraries;  public  baths;  public  foun- 
tains, and  everything  the  model  city  affords.  Kan- 
sas City  has  3,500  telephones  in  use;  more,  in  pro- 
portion  to  her  population,  than  any  other  city  in  the 
Union.  There  are  no  stores  in  Baltimore  to  com- 
pare with  the  leading  stores  in  Kansas  City.  One 
of  these  is  the  elegant  establishment  of  Emery,  Bird 
and  Thayer. 

Of  the  160  miles  of  street-car  service  in  the  two 
Kansas  Cities,  the  Metropolitan  Street  Railway 
Company  operates  150 — almost  a  monopoly,  but 
unlike  other  monopolies,  most  liberal  in  its  policy. 
It  has  31  transfer  points,  which,  contrasted  with 
other  cities  (St.  Louis,  for  instance),  is  very  much 


156  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

in  favor  of  popularizing  street-car  service  in  Kan- 
sas City. 

The  car-lines  are  electric  and  cable,  and  the  cars 
are  the  most  modern,  comfortable  and  safe,  and 
the  service,  polite  and  careful.  The  company  car- 
ries between  forty  and  forty-five  million  passengers 
every  year,  and  issues  between  fifty  and  seventy- 
five  thousand  transfers  every  day.  You  can  get  a 
nine-mile  car-ride  in  Kansas  City  for  five  cents. 

Gas  is  still  an  important  factor  in  lighting  the 
streets  of  Kansas  City,  and  gas-lamps  are  to  be  seen 
everywhere.  The  gas-works  have  a  maximum 
capacity  for  a  city  of  560,000.  There  are  225  miles 
of  main,  and  the  annual  consumption  is  700,000,000 
feet.  The  cost  of  gas  is  $i  per  1,000.  The  gas 
company  pays  2  per  cent  of  its  gross  receipts  to  the 
city.  There  are  18,000  gas-stoves  and  ranges  in 
use  in  Kansas  City.  Several  leading  electric  sys- 
tems of  the  world  are  represented  here  by  active 
working  plants,  among  which  are  the  Edison,  the 
Sperry,  the  Fort  Wayne,  and  the  Thompson- 
Houston  system. 

Kansas  City  was  the  first  city  in  the  world  to 
recognize  the  value  of  the  patents  of  Prof.  Elihu 
Thompson,  by  installing  a  plant  of  apparatus  of  the 
Thompson-Houston  system,  which  has  since  been 
most  largely  introduced  and  generally  recognized 
as  the  standard  in  arc  lighting.  Electricity  is  used 


KANSAS    CITY.  157 

for  many  purposes  besides  those  of  arc  and  incan- 
descent lighting.  It  runs  elevators,  printing- 
presses,  stationary  machinery  of  all  kinds,  besides 
being  largely  and  increasingly  employed  in  traction 
work.  In  Kansas  City,  may  also  be  witnessed  such 
novel  uses  of  this  important  force  as  welding,  sol- 
dering, horse-currying  and  clipping,  hair-crimping, 
cooking  and  search-light  applications.  Electricity 
is  also  used  here  quite  extensively  in  dentistry  and 
surgery,  and  from  the  various  plants  may  be  pro- 
cured currents  of  all  kinds,  alternating  or  continu- 
ous, in  any  voltage  and  any  quantity  required. 

Kansas  City  has  numerous  large  and  handsome 
banks,  beside  trust  companies,  savings  institutions 
and  loan  associations.  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  with 
Kansas  City,  Kansas,  is  a  larger  community  than 
Milwaukee,  and  is  the  sixteenth  city  in  population 
in  the  Union.  It  is  the  ninth  city  in  bank  clear- 
ings. The  exchange  of  money  is  the  barometer 
of  trade.  In  1898,  Kansas  City's  bank  clearings 
amounted  to  $580,000,000.  What  clearer  proof  is 
there  that  Kansas  City  has  more  than  her  normal 
share  of  business?  Her  bank  clearings  and  sales 
are  almost  identical  in  amount.  The  capital  of  na- 
tional and  state  banks  here  is  $7,500,000;  deposits, 
$39,200,000. 

Kansas  City  owns  her  own  water-plant.  Would 
that  Annapolis  did !  The  water-works  are  now  the 


158  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

city's  property,  and  at  an  original  cost  to  it  of  $3,- 
100,000,  are  a  paying  investment.  The  receipts 
for  1897  were  $415,000.  There  are  three  reservoirs 
with  86,000,000  gallons  capacity,  and  with  a  pump- 
ing capacity  of  31,000,000  gallons  in  24  hours. 
The  direct-pressure  system  is  used.  Like  all  oth- 
er cities  that  take  their  water  from  the  Missouri 
river,  the  Kansas  City  consumers,  if  they  want  clear 
water,  have  to  do  their  own  filtering. 

Club  life  is  an  important  factor  in  Kansas  City 
society.  Society  everywhere,  as  here,  could  not  do 
without  the  clubs,  for  the  clubs  are  the  spirit  and 
elixir  of  society.  One  finds  few  "thorough  so- 
ciety" men  here  who  are  not  club  men,  and  so- 
ciety and  club  life  are  more  or  less  synonymous. 
Get  into  one,  and  you  have  a  fair  opportunity  of 
getting  into  the  other.  There  are  between  25  and 
30  clubs  in  Kansas  City,  many  of  which  have  com- 
modious and  handsome  quarters,  and  club  life  here 
is  found  in  evei>  form — the  athletic  and  sporting 
clubs  to  the  bicycle  and  gun  clubs.  The  gun  club 
of  Kansas  City  holds  some  of  the  world's  records 
for  both  trap  shooting  and  target  practice. 

Kansas  City  has  93  churches,  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic church  having  the  largest  number  of  edifices — 
19,  the  Presbyterian  next — 13. 

It  is  a  thoroughly  metropolitan  city  in  all  things, 
and  yet  it  has  inhabitants  who  pay  no  rent.  These 


KANSAS    CITY.  159 

are  not  cave-dwellers,  as  they  are  in  London  and 
New  York,  dwelling  under  the  arches  of  great 
bridges  and  in  foundations,  but  squatters  in  tents 
and  log-houses  along  the  river  bank  and  on  vacant 
lots,  seemingly  no  man's  property.  With  all  the 
police  vigilance,  with  all  the  grand  free  schools  and 
manual-training  schools  (of  which  we  shall  speak 
later),  it  seems  to  be  impossible  not  to  have  in  this 
vicinity,  these  disciples  of  Diogenes. 

At  the  head  and  front  of  all  that  is  progressive 
and  enterprising,  with  its  indomitable  workers  who 
have  her  commercial  interests  at  heart,  Kansas  City 
revels  in  the  fact  of  "  the  only  Kansas  City,"  so  far 
as  America  is  concerned  anyway. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

PUBLIC   BUILDINGS,    FIRE    DEPARTMENT,    LIBRARY    AND 
SCHOOLS. 

Kansas  City,  like  all  other  western  cities,  has  a 
large  number  of  handsome  public  buildings.  Many 
of  these  are  built  after  the  fashion  of  the  Chicago 
sky-scrapers. 

One  of  the  largest  and  handsomest  of  Kansas 
City's  business  blocks  is  the  New  York  Life  Insur- 
ance Building.  This  building  is  17  stories  high 
and  cost  over  a  million  dollars.  It  is  built  of  red 
brick  and  brown  sandstone,  with  marble  trim- 
mings. 

The  interior  on  the  lower  floor  is  elegantly  fin- 
ished in  marble  tiling  and  mosaic  work,  highly  pol- 
ished. The  ceiling  and  side  walls  are  artistically 
decorated  with  floral  designs  in  gilt.  Besides  being 
the  headquarters  for  the  New  York  Life,  the  build- 
ing is  occupied  by  offices  and  banks,  the  Fidelity 
Trust  Company  being  located  in  commodious 
quarters  on  the  first  floor. 

Few  have  the  privilege  of  visiting  the  tower  at 
the  top  of  the  building.  Fortunately  we  were 


PUBLIC    BUILDINGS,    SCHOOLS,    ETC.  l6l 

among  the  few,  and  after  securing  passes,  were 
lifted  above  the  "  common  herd  "  and  had  a  fine 
view  of  the  city  from  the  tower  at  the  top  of  the 
17-story  New  York  Life  Building. 

There  is  no  fire  department  in  the  United  States 
with  a  system  which  has  attained  such  a  degree  of 
perfection  as  the  one  in  Kansas  City.  It  was  our 
pleasure  to  visit  the  headquarters  of  this  famous 
fire  department,  and  to  witness  several  fire  drills 
here.  The  Kansas  City  Fire  Department,  in  1895, 
carried  off  first  honors  in  London,  England,  in  a 
competitive  exhibition,  over  all  comers.  This  de- 
partment will  be  represented  at  the  Paris  Exposi- 
tion in  1900.  In  its  management  and  efficiency 
the  fire  department  is  the  pride  of  Kansas  City, 
and  to  this  is  due  the  low  loss  by  fires  here.  Its 
present  status  is:  7  steam-engines,  19  hose-reels, 
i  water-tower,  5  hook-and-ladders,  2  insurance 
patrols,  and  i  reporter. 

There  are  21  fire-engine  houses  in  Kansas  City, 
and  77  head  of  horses  in  use  in  the  service  of  the 
fire  department.  The  force  consists  of  160  men, 
1 8  watch-boys,  i  secretary,  i  master  mechanic,  i 
chief  and  2  assistants.  The  chief  is  George  C. 
Hale,  an  inventor  of  several  useful  machines  used 
by  the  department.  Among  Chief  Hale's  invalu- 
able inventions  is  the  water-tower.  It  is  85  feet  in 
height,  and  throws  an  inch  of  water  to  the  foot, 
ii 


1 62  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

Another  invention  of  the  Chiefs  is  the  double  and 
single  set  of  swinging  harness,  also  the  combination 
automatic  telephone,  telegraph  and  graphophone, 
which  if  set  in  motion  by  the  heat  in  a  burning 
building,  arouses  those  who  are  asleep,  and  tells 
them  exactly  where  the  fire  is.  The  arrangement 
is  most  complete  and  unique.  The  assistant  chief 
showed  us  how  it  worked,  but  to  do  so,  he  had  first 
to  light  a  piece  of  paper  and  hold  the  flame  to  the 
wire  attached  to  the  machine,  as  only  heat  of  this 
sort  will  set  it  going. 

All  the  public  buildings,  stores  and  business 
houses  of  Kansas  City  have  this  wonderful  inven- 
tion of  Chief  Hale's,  and  think  it  invaluable.  If 
there  is  a  fire  at  Armour's  packing  house  in  the 
middle  of  the  night,  this  combination  machine  will 
awaken  Mr.  Armour  at  his  home  in  the  city,  and 
tell  him  distinctly,  "A  fire  in  the  Armour  Com- 
pany packing  house,"  naming  the  exact  floor  or 
part  of  the  building  burning.  It  is  impossible  to 
describe  the  mechanism  of  this  machine;  to  appre- 
ciate it,  one  must  see  it  work. 

The  dispatch  with  which  the  horses  are  hooked 
to  the  engine  and  hose-carriage  or  hook-and-lad- 
der,  here,  takes  one's  breath.  There  was  an  exhi- 
bition given  for  our  benefit.  In  one  and  a  half  sec- 
onds from  the  time  the  alarm  was  sounded,  the 
double-horse  team  was  in  the  street,  and  within 


PUBLIC    BUILDINGS,    SCHOOLS,    ETC.  163 

three  seconds,  the  four-horse  truck.  As  the  gong 
sounds,  each  horse  is  in  his  place,  the  swinging 
harness  drops,  the  men  clasp  it,  and  all  is  done  and 
the  horses  and  truck  are  out  in  the  street  before  one 
has  time  to  take  his  breath. 

During  the  year,  there  has  been  added  to  the  ser- 
vice a  new  fire-alarm  system.  The  new  system  was 
installed  July  ist,  1898,  and  consists  of  a  metallic 
circuit — the  switch-board  being  placed  at  Fire  De- 
partment Headquarters,  where  all  alarms  are  re- 
ceived and  transferred.  Each  engine-house  is  pro- 
vided with  a  long-distance  telephone.  The  system 
is  divided  into  six  circuits,  which  are  so  arranged 
that  by  throwing  a  switch,  all  engine-houses  on  the 
different  circuits  can  be  instantly  connected  into 
one  circuit.  When  an  alarm  of  fire  is  given  from  a 
subscriber's  telephone,  it  comes  direct  to  the  Cen- 
tral Telephone  office;  the  operator  there  transfers 
the  same  over  a  trunk  line  to  the  operator  at  Fire 
Headquarters,  thus  putting  him  in  instant  commu- 
nication with  the  subscriber  who  is  giving  the  loca- 
tion of  the  fire;  the  operator  at  Fire  Headquarters, 
on  receiving  the  location  of  the  fire,  immediately 
transfers  the  same,  by  throwing  a  switch  and  giv- 
ing the  location  of  the  alarm  to  all  the  engine- 
houses  at  the  same  time.  This  system  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  Fire  and  Police  Signal  boxes,  lo- 
cated on  the  street  corners  in  different  parts  of  the 


164  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

city.  There  are  in  service  120  signal  boxes  which 
are  connected  directly  with  the  switch-board  at 
Fire  Headquarters.  When  the  boxes  are  used  for 
fire-alarm  purposes,  the  number  of  each  box  is  re- 
corded through  a  relay,  and  the  number  appears  on 
a  tape;  in  addition  to  having  the  location  thus 
recorded,  the  operator  is  placed  in  direct  com- 
munication with  the  police  officer  or  citizen  giv- 
ing the  location  of  the  fire,  thus  enabling  the 
fire  department  to  ascertain  the  exact  location  of 
the  fire,  which  often  proves  of  great  value  in  lo- 
cating fires  in  large  buildings  and  unfamiliar  places. 
The  use  of  the  telephone  in  connection  with  the 
fire-alarm  boxes  very  often  enables  an  officer  or  cit- 
izen to  communicate  with  Fire  Headquarters  and 
turn  in  an  alarm  of  fire  at  some  distant  location  of 
the  city. 

Kansas  City  has  several  libraries,  but  her  new 
public  library  is  the  one  which  attracted  us,  and  of 
which  we  shall  speak.  The  library  was  opened  to 
the  public  in  1895  in  a  new  and  handsome  granite 
building  of  two  and  a  half  stories,  built  after  the 
Greek  style  of  architecture,  and  occupying  half  a 
block. 

Engraven  in  granite  around  the  exterior  of  the 
building  are  the  names  of  famous  poets  and  men  of 
letters,  such  as  Bryant,  Whittier,  Irving,  Emerson, 
Agassiz  and  others.  The  library  contains  47,000 


PUBLIC    BUILDINGS,    SCHOOLS,    ETC.  165 

volumes,  5,600  of  which  are  juvenile  books.  The 
school  board  keeps  the  Children's  Library  intact, 
appropriating  funds  for  that  purpose.  It  is  cus- 
tomary in  the  children's  room  to  placard  the  dates 
of  celebrated  historical  events. 

On  October  I9th,  the  day  of  our  visit,  at  the  en- 
trance to  this  room  was  displayed  a  placard  telling 
that  this  was  "  Cornwallis'  Day,"  and  the  anniver- 
sary of  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  In 
Annapolis  it  was  celebrated  as  "  Peggy  Stewart 
Day."  The  idea  is  a  good  one,  and  calls  to  the 
mind  of  the  school  children  (large  numbers  of 
whom  visit  here  daily),  the  important  events  in  his- 
tory. We  were  delighted  to  see  so  many  children 
reading  historical  books  in  this  room  and  looking 
for  references  on  some  school  topic,  with  their 
school-books  beside  them. 

The  establishment  of  a  public  library  is  the  chief 
event  in  the  history  of  a  city's  intellectual  progress. 
From  the  amount  of  money  expended  in  this  way, 
more  healthful  entertainment  is  to  be  had  from  the 
reading  of  books  and  newspapers  than  from  any- 
thing else.  Society  is  what  men  and  women  seek, 
and  a  good  book  is  the  best  companion  one  can 
generally  find.  Kansas  City's  library  cost  $200,- 
ooo.  In  the  rotunda  of  the  library  is  a  handsome 
brass  memorial  tablet  to  George  Sheidley,  the 
Kansas  City  philanthropist,  who  bequeathed  $25,- 


1 66  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

ooo  for  the  public  library.  We  were  impressed 
with  several  inscriptions  painted  in  conspicuous 
places  in  the  rotunda;  one  of  which  was:  "There 
is  nothing  that  solidifies  and  strengthens  a  nation 
like  reading  of  the  nation's  own  history;  whether 
that  history  is  recorded  in  books,  embodied  in  cus- 
toms, institutions  or  monuments." 

The  American  people  are  greedy  for  knowledge, 
and  eminently  recognize  that  the  printing-press  is 
the  greatest  agent  in  the  dissemination  of  knowl- 
edge. To  this  end  there  is  a  reading-room,  where 
beside  books,  are  to  be  found  files  of  newspapers 
of  all  the  prominent  eastern  and  western  cities. 
Here,  the  traveler,  provided  he  hails  from  a  city  of 
any  degree  of  importance,  may  go  and  read  his 
town's  papers  to  his  heart's  content.  On  the  sec- 
ond floor 'of  the  library  are  the  Art  Gallery,  Wo- 
man's Club  Room  (these  western  cities  revel  in 
women's  clubs,  of  which  there  are  any  number), 
High  School  room,  Board  of  Education  room,  and 
rooms  of  the  superintendent  and  assistant  superin- 
tendent of  schools.  In  the  Art  Gallery  is  a  col- 
lection of  handsome  paintings  loaned  by  the  Art 
Association  here.  In  this  collection  are  23  oil- 
paintings  by  Raphael,  del  Sarto,  Titian,  Fra  An- 
gelico,  Rembrandt,  Velasquez,  Murillo  and  others 
—all  the  works  of  the  best  European  copyists,  from 
the  gallery  of  L.  Pisani,  Florence. 


PUBLIC    BUILDINGS,    SCHOOLS,    ETC.  l6/ 

The  paintings  are  the  same  size  as  the  originals, 
and  framed  identically.  The  collection,  which  is 
known  as  the  best  collection  of  art  in  the  West,  was 
presented  to  the  Kansas  City  Art  School  by  Wil- 
liam R.  Nelson  in  1896,  with  the  essential  condi- 
tions that  all  fees  charged  for  admission  were  to  be 
devoted  to  purchase  additions  to  the  collection,  and 
that  the  gallery  be  open  on  Sundays.  The  paint- 
ing of  the  Sistine  Madonna  is  the  best  copy  in  ex- 
istence. Another  very  handsome  work  of  art  in  this 
collection  is  an  allegorical  scene  of  "  Wind,  Show- 
ers, Spring."  The  Three  Graces,  Venus  and  Mer- 
cury. It  cost  $4,500  and  weighs  500  pounds.  The 
basement  of  the  library  building  is  set  apart  as  a 
museum,  and  is  filled  with  all  kinds  of  curiosities, 
war  relics,  Indian  curios,  and  so  forth.  Kansas 
City  is  proud  of  her  public  library,  and  she  has 
reason  to  be,  as  it  shows  the  great  strides  she  has 
made  intellectually  as  well  as  in  every  other  way. 
She  has  seven  other  libraries  beside  this  one  of 
which  we  have  spoken. 

What  shall  we  say  of  the  Kansas  City  schools? 
Indeed,  there  is  so  much  to  be  said,  we  scarcely 
know  where  to  begin.  The  first  public  school- 
house  was  erected  in  Kansas  City  in  1868 — think 
of  it !  only  31  years  ago !  and  to-day,  no  State  in  the 
Union  has  better  schools  and  greater  educational 
facilities  than  Kansas  City.  Boston,  the  Athens  of 


1 68  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

America,  as  old  as  she  is,  one  of  the  first  Puritan 
settlements,  had  better  look  to  her  educational  lau- 
rels, lest  the  infantile  city  of  the  mid-continent 
wrest  them  from  her.  The  present  number  of 
Kansas  City's  school-buildings  is  26  white  and  8 
colored.  There  are  in  all  500  teachers  here.  The 
white  children  attending  school  are  18,912,  the  col- 
ored, 2,608.  The  assessed  valuation  of  the  public 
schools  in  Kansas  City  is  $64,00x3,000.  Among  the 
schools  ("  Ward  Schools  "  as  the  grammar  schools 
are  called),  it  was  our  pleasure  to  visit,  was  the 
Whittier  school.  This  is  one  of  the  best  con- 
ducted and  most  thoroughly  equipped  schools  in 
the  city,  and  is  situated  at  the  corner  of  Indiana  and 
Peery  avenues.  There  are  enrolled  here  between 
900  and  1,000  pupils,  with  an  average  attendance 
of  850.  The  principal  is  Mrs.  Josephine  Heer- 
mans,  whose  salary  is  $175  per  month.  She  has 
17  assistants,  whose  salaries  range  from  $65  to  $75 
per  month.  The  teacher  of  the  kindergarten  de- 
partment, whose  hours  are  from  9  a.  m.  to  12  m., 
receives  $50  per  month.  Western  teachers,  you 
see,  are  much  better  paid  than  those  in  the  East. 

There  are  no  separate  primary  and  grammar 
schools  in  the  West  as  in  the  East.  The  two  are 
consolidated  and  taught  in  the  same  building. 
Nearly  every  school  has  its  kindergarten  depart- 
ment, taught  by  three-year  graduates  of  some  well- 


PUBLIC    BUILDINGS,    SCHOOLS,    ETC.  169 

known  kindergarten  schools  of  instruction.  Peo- 
ple in  the  West  believe  in  the  kindergarten  work, 
and  have  proved  its  efficacy  in  pupils  who  have 
gone  into  the  High  School  all  the  way  from  the 
kindergarten  as  the  beginning. 

Recently,  a  Kansas  City  High  School  student 
said  he  had  no  trouble  whatever  with  geometry. 
It  seemed  to  him  he  had  studied  it  all  his  life,  so 
natural  were  the  figures.  Then  he  recalled  that  he 
had  learned  these  same  figures  and  angles  in  his 
folding  work  in  the  kindergarten,  years  before. 
We  hope  to  see  a  kindergarten  department  in  the 
Annapolis  school  in  the  near  future;  for  kinder- 
garten, taught  philosophically,  prepares  the  child 
for  that  which  is  to  follow,  makes  him  think  and 
reason,  teaches  form,  color  and  outlines,  and  lays 
the  foundation  for  future  usefulness.  It  makes 
school  a  pleasure  for  the  little  ones  and  yet  prepares 
them,  step  by  step,  for  the  graded  department. 

At  this  particular  kindergarten  on  this  particular 
occasion,  the  children  were  being  taught  the  differ- 
ent fruits  and  vegetables,  their  outline  and  color. 
To  impress  this,  cards  were  given  them  on  which 
they  outlined  in  worsteds  of  appropriate  color  the 
fruit  in  question.  Some  of  the  work  was  very  well 
done.  Then,  they  were  taught  about  the  growth 
and  cultivation  of  this  fruit,  and  supposing  they 
were  farmers  and  some  of  them  city  people  at 


WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 


the  stores  and  markets,  they  bought  and  sold  their 
products.  The  supposition  was  almost  as  realistic 
as  was  David  Harum's  horse-trading  "  supposin' 
twar'n't  Sunday."  Children  enter  the  primary  or 
kindergarten  departments,  as  parents  prefer,  at  the 
age  of  six,  and  graduate  into  the  Central  or  Manual 
Training  High  School  at  the  age  of  fourteen. 

The  first-year  primary  class  is  perhaps  one  of  the 
most  interesting  in  the  Whittier  school.  The 
teacher,  Miss  Baker,  is  bright  and  happy,  and  en- 
thused with  her  work;  naturally  the  class  is  what 
the  teacher  is,  an  unusually  bright  and  interesting 
set  of  little  ones,  as  interested  in  their  work  as  their 
teacher.  Miss  Baker's  method  is  the  Cornell 
method  of  teaching  the  little  ones  from  paper  dolls 
and  mounted  pictures.  They  were  having  a  lesson 
from  the  picture-cards  when  we  visited  them. 
It  was  really  a  lesson  in  Greek  mythology,  which 
seems  preposterous  to  teach  children  of  six  years 
old,  but  which  to  be'  appreciated,  must  be  seen. 
The  little  ones  are  taught  the  contour  of  the 
Greek  face,  the  features  and  the  Greek  style  of 
dress.  They  handle  the  pictures  as  tenderly  as 
they  would  their  dolls,  and  when  the  teacher  asked 
for  those  who  would  like  to  tell  the  story  of  the 
pictures,  all  hands  went  up,  and  all  were  anxious 
to  tell. 

A  few  were  chosen,  and  we  shall  not  soon  forget 


PUBLIC    BUILDINGS,    SCHOOLS,    ETC. 


how  intelligently  these  little  tots  told  who  was 
Zeus,  Apollo,  Aurora  and  other  gods  and  goddess- 
es represented  in  the  pictures  they  held.  Some 
one  may  ask  of  this  method  of  teaching,  "  What  is 
the  worth  while?  "  We  know  of  no  better  answer 
than  a  conversation  that  took  place  between  the 
teacher  and  a  little  six-year-old.  "  Oh,  Miss  Bak- 
er, guess  whom  I  saw  this  morning?"  "I  don't 
know,  Mary,"  said  the  teacher,  "  tell  me."  "  I  got 
up  very  early  this  morning,"  said  the  little  one, 
"  and  I  saw  Aurora."  "  And  what  color  did  she 
wear?  "  asked  the  teacher.  "  Oh,  she  was  all  in  a 
bright  rose  color,"  said  the  child,  showing  the  con- 
ception she  had  formed  of  the  goddess  of  the  morn- 
ing. The  class  study  the  art  pictures,  and  the  dia- 
logue lessons  are  interesting  and  helpful.  The  chil- 
dren learn  to  express  themselves  well,  and  this 
means  much.  The  teacher  is  doing  a  wonderful 
work  which  will  tell  for  itself  later  on. 

There  is  one  bad  feature  in  the  Kansas  City 
schools,  which  seriously  affects  the  progress  of 
work  in  the  kindergarten  and  primary  departments, 
and  this  is  that  children  are  permitted  to  enter 
school  any  day  in  the  year.  This  disorganizes  the 
classes  and  makes  more  work  for  the  teacher,  and 
is  unfortunate  for  the  child.  For  the  best  inter- 
ests of  all  concerned,  children  should  only  be 
allowed  to  enter  school  twice  a  year,  in  September 
and  February. 


172  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

Calisthenics  is  taught  in  the  Whittier  school 
after  the  German  system  of  Carl  Betz.  The 
method  of  teaching  geography  here  is  very  suc- 
cessful. It  takes  away  from  that  study,  distasteful 
to  most  pupils,  the  grind  and  humdrum  part  of  it. 
It  broadens  their  ideas  and  teaches  the  children 
what  man  is  here  for,  how  he  has  built  cities  and 
made  towns.  It  teaches  them  of  the  raw  materials, 
the  manufacture,  the  product,  the  distribution. 
The  lessons  are  divided  into  18  topics,  and  two 
weeks  are  given  to  each  topic.  Reading  is  also 
taught  in  a  most  interesting  and  profitable  manner 
in  the  Whittier  school.  Great  attention  is  paid  to 
supplementary  reading.  The  children  in  all  grades 
read  comprehensively  and  exceedingly  well.  They 
demonstrate  the  conception  of  what  they  have  read 
by  writing  an  extract  of  the  reading  lesson  in  their 
own  language.  At  first,  we  were  inclined  to  doubt 
the  wisdom  of  putting  such  reading  into  the  hands 
of  the  children,  but  reading  the  extracts  was  the 
"  proof  of  the  pudding."  The  third  grade  read 
Hawthorne's  "Wonder  Book,"  Bunyan's  "  Pil- 
grim's Progress  "  and  "  Robinson  Crusoe."  The 
fourth  grade  read  Ruskin's  "  Ethics  of  the  Dust," 
and  "The  Tempest."  The  fifth  grade  read  Bry- 
ant's translation  of  Homer's  "  Odyssey "  and 
"Miles  Standish."  The  sixth  grade  read  "The 
Merchant  of  Venice  "  (the  Riverside  Park  edition) 


PUBLIC    BUILDINGS,    SCHOOLS,    ETC. 


and  "  Evangeline."  The  seventh  grade  read  six 
books  of  the  "Iliad,"  "Julius  Caesar,"  "  Henry  V.," 
"  Macbeth,"  "  Emerson's  Essays  "  and  "  The  Lady 
of  the  Lake." 

Such  reading  as  this  gives  the  children  power. 
It  gives  the  pupil  grasp  in  all  parts  of  his  work,  and 
is  a  pleasure  to  the  high  schools,  when  these  pupils 
enter  there  well  trained,  well  drilled  and  ready  to 
take  up  the  more  advanced  work.  The  Whittier 
school  is  only  one  of  the  perfectly  conducted  ward 
schools  of  Kansas  City,  and  typical  of  what  these 
excellent  schools  are.  It  is  not  a  difficult  matter  to 
discern  that  western  people  think  and  believe  "  ed- 
ucation is  the  chief  defence  of  nations,"  and  that 
"  our  schools  are  all  the  days  and  nights  of  our  ex- 
istence." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

BITS  OF  THE  CITY'S   PROGRESS — HER  POSTOFFICE, 

PARKS  AND  THE  CENTRAL  HIGH  SCHOOL 

BUILDING. 

One  of  Kansas  City's  principal  streets  is  Balti- 
more avenue,  which  bids  fair  to  have  a  succession 
of  fine  buildings  upon  it.  The  Equitable  Life  In- 
surance Company  of  New  York  has  just  selected  a 
site  upon  this  avenue  where  it  will  build  a  $1,000,- 
ooo  structure.  The  Physicians'  Building  and 
the  Labor  Temple  are  two  other  edifices  that 
will  shortly  be  put  up,  and  will  add  $1,500,000  more 
to  Baltimore  avenue.  But  the  most  important 
building  upon  this  thoroughfare,  to  the  heart  of  a 
Baltimorean,  is  the  magnificent  new  hotel,  The 
Baltimore,  completed  at  a  cost  of  several  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  and  opened  to  the  public  for  the 
first  time  on  June  loth  last.  It  is  one  of  the  finest 
hotels  in  America,  and  will  compare  most  favorably 
with  the  best  of  them  in  New  York.  The  Balti- 
more was  built  by  Mr.  Bernard  Corrigan,  a  mil- 
lionaire Irishman.  Mr.  Corrigan's  wife  is  a  native 
of  Baltimore,  and  she  was  permitted  to  christen  the 
new  hotel — hence  its  name. 


BITS    OF    CITY  S    PROGRESS.  175 

The  decoration  of  The  Baltimore  follows  the 
Greek  style  in  coloring  and  architecture.  Retreat- 
ing panels  in  circular  form  are  enriched  with  car- 
touches combining  the  elements  of  the  Baltimore 
arms,  adapted  in  their  form  and  proportion  to  clas- 
sic types.  The  Baltimore  arms  are  also  prominent 
in  the  dining-room,  which  is  a  handsome  colonial 
interior. 

Kansas  City  does  not  mind  spending  money  to 
please  her  people.  She  believes  in  enterprise  and 
progress  whether  the  cost  to  obtain  it  be  large  or 
small.  Every  year,  the  city  spends  any  amount  of 
money  on  the  streets,  and  has  adopted  one  of  the 
finest  systems  of  sprinkling  the  principal  thorough- 
fares every  night.  At  the  parks,  six  months  in  the 
year,  free  entertainments  are  given,  such  as  band 
concerts,  theatricals,  picnics,  electric  pictures,  and 
so  forth,  only  costing  the  car-ride  to  and  from  the 
park  to  see  them.  And  what  of  her  parks?  The 
city  has  been  wisely  planned  for  future  develop- 
ment. Her  advantages  created  some  difficulties 
and  suggested  some  improvements.  After  the 
proper  location  of  railways,  by  which  every  part 
of  the  city  is  easily  reached,  then  the  enterprise  of 
these  lines  established  beautiful  private  parks. 

Among  these  are  Troost,  Budd,  Washington  and 
Fairmount — embracing  many  hundred  acres.  To 
supplement  this,  the  city  acquired  by  gift  from  one 


176  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

of  her  own  citizens,  a  magnificent  natural  park  of 
1,134  acres.  It  has  a  frontage  of  nearly  three  miles 
along  the  Blue  river,  and  is  so  diversified  by  stream, 
hill,  valley,  forest,  meadow,  some  precipitous  bluffs 
and  deep  ravines,  that  the  highest  achievements  of 
the  landscape  gardener  and  the  master  touches  of 
nature's  handiwork  may  each  be  seen  at  a  turn  in 
the  road.  This  great  gift  was  appropriately  ac- 
knowledged by  a  public  acceptance,  June  25th, 
1896,  attended  by  nearly  20,000  people.  Fair- 
mount  Park  does  not  belong  to  the  city,  but  is 
owned  by  a  company.  It  contains  60  acres;  is 
well  managed,  and  its  beauties  are  enjoyed  in  sum- 
mer by  Kansas  City's  thousands.  Its  superinten- 
dent is  one  Mr.  Warfield.  There  are  a  number  of 
cottages  at  the  park  occupied  by  Kansas  City 
people  during  the  heated  months. 

There  are  a  large  dancing-pavilion,  theatre,  rus- 
tic summer-houses,  an  artificial  lake,  together  with 
various  attractive  features  characteristic  of  all 
parks.  It  is  reached  by  electric  railway  and  car- 
riage road,  and  is  about  seven  miles  from  the  city. 
With  its  numerous  inside  parks,  connected  with  the 
general  system,  Kansas  City  promises  to  be  one  of 
the  brightest  and  prettiest  cities  as  well  as  one  of 
the  healthiest  and  happiest. 

The  present  Kansas  City  postoffice  is  nothing 
to  boast  of.  Business  is  being  done  in  an  old  build- 


BITS    OF    CITY'S    PROGRESS.  177 

ing  which  is  very  dilapidated  and  much  the  worse 
for  wear.  A  handsome  and  commodious  govern- 
ment building  of  granite  is  in  process  of  construc- 
tion near  by.  It  has  been  eight  years  in  building, 
and  the  delay  in  finishing  it  is  a  great  source  of  an- 
noyance to  the  postoffice  officials  here,  who  are 
much  overcrowded  in  their  work.  There  seems  to 
be  no  definite  time  set  for  its  completion,  however, 
but  when  completed  it  will  have  cost  over  $2,000,- 
ooo.  One  would  never  take  the  tall,  heavily-set 
country  farmer  with  chin  whiskers  a  la  hayseed 
variety,  for  the  postmaster;  but  this  is  he,  and  his 
name  and  title  make  him  known  to  the  world  as 
Col.  S.  F.  Scott. 

He  must  be  a  politician  with  a  big  "  pull "  or  he 
never  could  have  been  appointed  postmaster,  for 
he  knows  absolutely  nothing  about  the  workings 
of  the  office  over  which  he  is  supposed  to  reign  su- 
preme. We  began  to  question  him  as  to  the  re- 
ceipts, management,  and  so  forth,  and  after  a  series 
of  "  I  don't  know's "  he  politely  informed  us  we 
were  "too  much  for  him"  and  as  politely  turned 
us  over  to  another  gentleman  with  an  unpro- 
nounceable and  an  unspellable  name.  He  in  turn 
turned  us  over  to  some  one  else,  and  we  began  to 
despair  lest  we  were  "too  much"  for  the  whole 
postoffice  department.  There  is  always  luck  in 
three's,  and  the  third  gentleman  (a  Mr.  Jarboe), 

12 


178  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

who  at  least  knew  his  business,  politely  showed  us 
the  internal  arrangements  of  the  Kansas  City  post- 
office.  To  him,  we  are  indebted  for  much  of  the 
following  information:  There  are  seven  lady 
clerks  employed  in  this  office,  two  of  whom  work 
in  the  city  mailing  department,  and  five  who  do 
clerical  work  or  serve  at  the  stamp  windows.  Last 
year  there  were  $600,000  worth  of  stamps  sold  at 
this  office.  Twelve  to  fifteen  tons  of  mailing  mat- 
ter pass  through  the  Kansas  City  office  daily.  The 
letter-mail  alone  amounts  to  from  1,500  to  2,000 
pounds  daily,  and  there  are  from  n  to  12  tons  of 
second-class  matter  per  day.  On  Wednesdays  and 
Thursdays,  this  amounts  to  22  tons,  because  the 
weekly  papers  on  these  days  increase  the  mail's 
weight. 

To  the  assistant  superintendent,  Mr.  D.  F. 
Clawges,  we  are  also  indebted  for  information. 
Small  letters  are  a  great  source  of  annoyance  at 
the  postoffice,  also  letters  containing  keys,  coins 
and  other  hard  substances.  These  are  sometimes 
torn  open  by  the  stamping  machine  and  cause 
trouble.  And  what  shall  we  say  of  the  stamping 
machine — this  wonderful  evidence  of  man's  genius, 
thought  and  mechanism!  The  Barr-Fyke  ma- 
chine for  stamping  letters  is  the  one  in  popular  fa- 
vor. This  is  the  invention  of  a  Kansas  City  man, 
Mr.  Barr,  a  railway  postal  clerk  on  the  Sante  Fe 


179 


Road,  who  not  having  the  time  to  perfect  the  ma- 
chine, enlisted  the  interest  of  Mr.  Fyke,  also  a 
Kansas  City  man.  Running  regularly,  the  Barr- 
Fyke  machine  stamps  easily  40,000  letters  per  hour, 
but  under  pressure  it  may  stamp  from  60,000  to 
100,000  per  hour.  The  die,  with  date,  and  so 
forth,  is  changed  every  half-hour. 

We  saw  the  stamping  machine  in  operation  both 
in  Denver  and  in  Kansas  City  and  the  result  was 
wonderful.  This  office  also  operates  the  Barry 
Postal  Supply  Company's  stamping  machine,  man- 
ufactured in  Oswego,  N.  Y. ;  but  this  does  not  work 
as  smoothly  as  the  Barr-Fyke,  and  will  not  stamp 
postal  cards.  The  machines  are  worked  by  an  elec- 
tric motor.  The  Barr-Fyke  machine  has  needles, 
and  the  Barry  machine  is  worked  by  a  belt  arrange- 
ment. 

The  Kansas  City  postoffice  is  complete  in  its 
management.  There  are  94  carriers,  14  substi- 
tutes and  89  clerks.  Each  carrier  works  8  hours 
per  day,  and  is  supposed  to  walk  18  to  20  miles 
daily.  There  is  no  body  of  men  who  do  their  work 
at  the  office  with  more  dispatch,  and  without  or- 
ders, than  these  carriers.  Each  man  knows  his 
work  and  does  it  in  the  best  possible  manner  in  the 
least  possible  time.  The  carriers  mark  the  time  of 
their  arrival  and  departure  from  the  office  by  means 
of  a  key,  corresponding  with  their  numbers,  that 
registers  automatically  on  an  electric  clock. 


l8o  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

In  Kansas  City,  as  in  Denver,  the  carrier  deliv- 
ering the  mail  will  also  collect  it  from  the  residents 
when  desired,  a  great  accommodation  for  those  not 
wishing  to  go  to  the  nearest  box,  sometimes  two  or 
three  blocks  away.  The  carriers  in  the  West  her- 
ald their  approach  by  a  whistle,  like  that  of  the 
watchman's  in  the  East.  There  are  only  275  letter- 
boxes in  Kansas  City,  a  small  number  for  a  city  of 
225,000  inhabitants.  The  heaviest  mail  is  that  for 
the  Bank  of  Commerce  and  the  Armour  Packing 
Company.  The  former  at  one  delivery  frequently 
receives  a  mail-pouch  full  of  letters,  and  the  mail 
for  the  Armour  Company  is  so  heavy  they  send  a 
wagon  to  the  office  for  it. 

In  a  previous  chapter,  we  have  spoken  of  one  of 
the  Ward  schools  of  Kansas  City,  which  are  prepar- 
atory to  the  high  schools.  Two  years  ago,  there 
were  three  high  schools  here,  two  large  and  one 
small,  beside  a  colored  high  school.  The  three  high 
schools  are  now  consolidated  and  the  Central  High 
School,  an  elegant  and  commodious  building,  cor- 
ner of  Eleventh  and  Locust  streets,  is  the  one  high 
school  of  the  city,  with  its  adjunct,  the  Manual 
Training  School.  The  Central  High  School  has  a 
seating  capacity  of  1,678  pupils,  and  an  average  at- 
tendance of  1,500  pupils.  There  are  50  teachers  in 
the  building,  about  equally  divided  in  number  be- 
tween males  and  females.  Of  the  25,000  pupils  in 


BITS    OF    CITY'S    PROGRESS.  l8l 

enrollment  in  the  Kansas  City  public  schools, 
3,000  of  these  are  in  the  high  and  manual  training 
schools. 

Two  lady  clerks  are  employed  in  the  office  of  the 
high  school,  one,  a  graduate  of  Ann  Arbor,  acts  in 
the  capacity  of  substitute  in  case  of  sickness  or  ab- 
sence among  the  regular  corps  of  teachers.  In  the 
office  are  large  blackboards  showing  the  hours  of 
recitation  in  the  various  departments  of  school 
work,  and  one  may  glance  at  the  board  and  know 
just  what  study  is  being  taught  in  each  room,  and 
by  what  teacher.  Another  good  feature  is  that  the 
attendance  is  registered  on  this  board,  and  at  a 
glance  the  visitor  may  see  just  how  many  pupils 
are  in  school  that  day,  how  many  absent  and  how 
many  tardy.  This  does  away  with  the  annoyance 
of  looking  into  the  roll-book  to  satisfy  the  Board  of 
Trustees  on  this  point.  One  of  the  lady  clerks  at- 
tends to  this  work,  besides  receiving  excuses  for 
absence  and  tardiness,  thus  relieving  the  principal 
of  this  duty. 

The  principal  of  the  High  School  is  Prof.  E.  C. 
White,  with  Prof.  I.  I.  Cammack  as  assistant  prin- 
cipal. The  school  is  graded  very  much  like  a  col- 
lege, the  classes  being  Freshman,  Sophomore,  Ju- 
nior and  Senior.  The  average  age  of  graduation 
is  between  17  and  18  years,  although  one  bright 
boy  in  the  present  senior  class  is  but  15  years  of 


1 82  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

age.  The  Kansas  City  High  School  cost  $35,000. 
The  people  are  proud  of  their  high  school,  and 
justly  so.  They  think  nothing  too  good  for  the 
schools  in  the  West,  and  the  sooner  this  feeling  is 
cultivated  in  Annapolis  the  better  for  her  home 
school.  Last  year's  graduating  class  numbered 
243,  the  year  previous  253,  and  this  year's  class 
numbers  300  graduates.  All  the  schools  in  the 
West  are  co-educational,  but  the  girls  are  in  the 
majority,  being  2  to  i.  High  schools  here  call  at 
8.30  a.  m.  and  close  at  i  p.  m.  There  are  six  reci- 
tation periods,  during  the  day,  of  45  minutes  each. 

At  the  close  of  the  period,  electric  bells  ring  in 
all  rooms  in  the  building,  and  the  change  is  made 
in  various  departments  of  study.  Pupils  who  do 
not  recite  go  to  the  study-hall.  A  number  of  stu- 
dies are  elective,  and  open  to  individual  students  as 
their  powers  qualify.  To  those  not  taking  all 
branches,  the  intermediate  period  is  employed  in 
the  study-hall  under  the  supervision  of  a  teacher. 
The  seating  capacity  of  this  room  is  200.  Of  the 
six  recitation  periods,  there  are  four  in  which  every 
student  is  compelled  to  recite,  the  other  two  are 
optional. 

The  principal  is  a  western  man  and  a  graduate 
of  the  Missouri  University;  the  assistant  principal, 
beside  being  an  A.  B.  of  a  western  university,  has 
taken  a  post-graduate  course  at  Johns  Hopkins, 


BITS    OF    CITY'S    PROGRESS.  183 

Baltimore.  Among  the  interesting  departments 
visited,  was  the  chemical  laboratory,  where  Prof. 
Peters  was  experimenting  with  hydrogen  gas  be- 
fore a  well-prepared  class  of  bright  students.  The 
class  in  mathematical  astronomy,  and  that  in  litera- 
ture, where  the  teacher  was  giving  a  lecture  on 
Chaucer,  were  also  very  interesting. 

Five  languages  are  taught  in  the  school  beside 
English,  viz.:  French,  German,  Latin,  Greek  and 
Spanish.  Although  Chicago  not  long  since  claim- 
ed that  she  was  first  to  introduce  into  her  public 
schools  the  study  of  Spanish,  that  language  has 
been  taught  for  the  past  five  years  in  the  Kansas 
City  High  School. 

This  country,  being  contiguous  to  Spanish  terri- 
tory, Spanish  is  essential  to  business  and  trade,  and 
is  therefore  taught  in  the  public  schools  here.  The 
teacher  of  Greek  is  a  young  lady,  a  graduate  of 
Ann  Arbor.  Greek  is  an  elective  course,  but  the 
classes  are  large,  the  teacher  being  exceedingly 
popular.  The  Latin  teacher  is  Prof.  Minckwitz, 
son  of  the  noted  professor  of  that  name  at  Munich. 
No  higher  compliment  could  be  paid  Prof.  Minck- 
witz than  that  his  Latin  books  have  been  recently 
adopted  as  text-books  in  the  schools  of  New  York 
city  by  the  board  of  education  there. 

In  the  department  of  physical  geography,  each 
pupil  is  provided  with  a  mounted  globe.  The  in- 


184  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

structor  finds  study  from  these  globes  much  more 
profitable  than  from  maps,  especially  in  studying 
meridians  and  circles  and  determining  longitude 
and  latitude.  This  class,  at  the  time  of  our  visit, 
was  analyzing  limestone  found  in  localities  near 
Kansas  City. 

In  the  botanical  laboratory,  the  class  was  study- 
ing the  commercial  sponge  beneath  a  powerful 
magnifying  glass.  In  the  room  where  drawing  is 
taught,  where  the  talent,  latent  in  so  many  public- 
school  children,  is  developed  in  these  Kansas  City 
boys  and  girls,  the  pupils  were  busy  copying  from 
models  and  still  life.  Here  were  models  for  anat- 
omy-drawing, and  flowers,  fruits  and  birds.  Later 
on,  they  will  be  taught  to  draw  from  life,  and  mod- 
els will  pose  in  historic  costume  and  character  for 
the  class. 

A  novel  feature  of  these  western  schools  is  that 
they  each  have  a  matron.  She  is  a  kind-hearted, 
motherly  woman,  fond  of  children,  and  interested 
in  their  welfare.  To  her  room,  which  is  large,  com- 
fortable and  home-like,  the  sick  and  ailing  children 
are  sent.  She  looks  after  their  comfort  and  min- 
isters to  their  wants,  and  if  the  case  is  serious,  tele- 
phones for  a  carriage  and  has  them  sent  to  their 
homes.  On  wet  days,  she  sees  that  the  pupils  re- 
move wet  clothing  and  shoes  for  dry  ones.  She  is  a 
friend  to  all  the  girls,  and  to  the  motherless,  a 


BITS    OF    CITY'S    PROGRESS.  185 

mother.  Some  pupils  come  from  homes  not  blest 
with  this  world's  goods.  These,  the  matron  sees, 
are  provided  with  warm  winter-clothing  and  such 
things  as  are  needful.  A  great  amount  of  good 
is  accomplished  by  the  matron,  whose  Christian  life 
and  character  cannot  fail  to  have  a  beneficial  influ- 
ence throughout  the  entire  school. 

One  of  the  pupils  of  the  Central  High  School, 
Arthur  Thompson,  a  bright  lad  of  14,  is  ambitious 
to  enter  the  United  States  Naval  Academy,  at  An- 
napolis, and  to  this  end  he  is  preparing  himself. 
He  told  the  professors  of  his  desire  to  graduate 
from  the  school  that  sent  out  Dewey,  Schley  and 
Sampson,  and  they  have  taken  a  peculiar  interest 
in  the  boy,  and  are  encouraging  him  in  every  pos- 
sible manner.  He  has  a  bright  face  and  converses 
intelligently,  and  to  all  appearances  is  blest  with 
such  qualities  of  grit,  nerve,  ambition  and  determi- 
nation as  Deweys  and  Schleys  are  made  of. 

The  Kansas  City  Central  High  School  is  an  in- 
stitution that  shows  the  city's  advancement  along 
the  line  of  education.  "  Knowledge  is  power  "  and 
the  young  man  and  young  woman  here  are  made  to 
know  and  feel  its  power  in  these  monuments  of 
learning  in  the  West. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

WHAT    OTHERS    THINK   OF    US MUNICIPAL    HEAD- 
QUARTERS  THE   KANSAS    CITY    JAIL OTHER 

PLACES  OF  INTEREST. 

"  A  prophet  is  not  without  honor  save  in  his  own 
country,"  and  so  it  is  with  the  articles  of  sustenance 
that  go  to  support  the  prophet's  life.  One  has  to 
come  West  to  know  what  others  think  of  us  and 
our  oyster-  and  fish-produce  in  Maryland.  There 
is  a  "  Maryland  Oyster  House  "  in  Denver,  but  we 
turned  up  our  noses  at  the  very  idea  of  eating 
oysters  so  far  away  from  base. 

At  Kansas  City,  we  were  not  a  little  amused  to 
see  on  the  menu  of  a  fashionable  cafe,  "  crab  meat 
a  la  Maryland";  under  oysters,  "  Baltimore  extra 
selects";  under  lobsters,  "Baltimore  a  la  Mali," 
the  prices  of  these  exclusive  Maryland  dishes  vary- 
ing from  50  to  75  cents  per  single  serve.  Mary- 
land is  famous  everywhere  for  her  luscious  bivalves 
and  shell-fish. 

Most  buildings  in  Kansas  City,  even  though 
comparatively  new,  are  dirty  and  smoky  looking, 
because  of  so  many  factories,  perhaps.  In  this  re- 


WHAT    OTHERS    THINK    OF    US.  187 

spect,  Kansas  City  is  the  Pittsburgh  of  the  West. 
One  cannot  wear  linen  and  have  it  spotless  very 
long  here.  A  man  in  duck  trousers  would  be  a 
novel  sight  on  the  streets  of  Kansas  City,  and  a 
lady  cannot  wear  a  white  dress  more  than  once. 
Little  specks  of  greasy  smut  float  about  in  the  air, 
and  lodge  everywhere.  These  same  greasy  parti- 
cles of  soot  are  no  respecters  of  persons,  and  one 
riding  in  the  street-cars  soon  gets  a  dirty  face. 

The  City  Hall,  though  comparatively  a  new 
building,  is  very  dingy  looking.  It  occupies  one 
block,  and  is  seven  stories  high.  In  the  "6o's," 
the  ground  on  which  the  municipal  headquarters 
now  stand  could  have  been  purchased  for  $200; 
but  to-day,  it  could  not  be  purchased  for  $200,000, 
so  great  has  been  the  boom  in  Kansas  City  real  es- 
tate. We  cannot  speak  too  highly  of  the  courtesy 
shown  us  at  the  City  Hall  by  the  officials,  and 
the  interest  they  took  in  explaining  the  workings 
of  the  several  departments  there.  The  Kansas  City 
police  department  has  140  patrolmen,  10  sergeants, 
4  lieutenants,  4  captains  and  10  detectives. 

Several  rooms  in  the  City  Hall  are  appropri- 
ated by  the  detective  department.  Here  is  to  be 
found  a  gruesome  array  of  knives,  pistols,  clubs, 
and  so  forth,  each  of  which  has  a  history,  and  most 
of  which  have  been  instruments  of  death. 

Here  are  dark  lanterns  that  have  figured  in  rob- 


l88  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

beries;  one  of  them  is  the  lantern  of  the  notorious 
Kennedy,  the  train-robber.  There  are  parapher- 
nalia of  opium  joints,  and  gold  bricks  that  confi- 
dence men  have  palmed  off  on  the  unwary. 

Here  is  the  rogues'  gallery,  where  there  are  over 
1,000  photographs  of  men  and  women  thieves. 
Among  these  is  the  picture  of  Jesse  James,  the 
bandit,  and  the  Taylor  brothers,  who  killed  a 
caravan  of  Mormons.  There  have  been  seven 
hangings  in  Kansas  City,  the  gruesome  evidences 
of  which — the  hangman's  knots — are  displayed 
here  in  the  cases.  In  the  detective  departments 
there  are  whole  outfits  of  burglars'  tools,  and  im- 
plements for  safe-robbery. 

The  old  method  of  photographing  criminals  for 
future  identification  is  replaced  by  the  new  one  of 
measurement.  This  is  called  the  Bertillion  system, 
named  for  its  inventor,  a  Frenchman.  By  this 
method  the  criminal  is  measured — head,  trunk, 
limbs — and  his  entire  measurement  recorded.  It  is 
always  accurate,  and  no  two  individual  measure- 
ments are  identical.  The  record  of  the  measure- 
ment is  in  the  nature  of  a  cipher,  and  if  three  num- 
bers are  telegraphed  by  the  police  of  another  city 
relative  to  a  criminal,  the  officials  immediately  rec- 
ognize that  criminal's  identity  by  means  of  the 
Bertillion  system.  The  system  is  considered  inval- 
uable. 


WHAT    OTHERS    THINK    OF    US.  189 

Perhaps  the  most  unique  and  complete  arrange- 
ment in  any  of  the  departments  is  that  in  the  tele- 
phone office.  Here,  the  chief  operator  is  kept 
busy.  His  is  no  sinecure  position,  for  every  two 
minutes  some  officer  calls  up,  reports  and  asks  if 
there  is  anything  new.  There  is  an  automatic  reg- 
ister that  records  by  telegraphy  the  name  of  each 
officer,  his  number  and  the  box  from  which  he  is 
reporting.  There  can  be  no  mistake,  and  no  offi- 
cer can  report  for  another  by  this  arrangement. 

The  fire  and  police  alarms  are  unique.  There  are 
1 20  boxes,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  every  officer 
knows  of  every  accident,  fire  or  anything  of  inter- 
est to  the  department,  that  has  happened  through- 
out the  city.  Citizens  are  furnished  with  emer- 
gency keys,  and  in  case  an  officer  is  not  about  at 
the  time  of  a  fire  or  an  accident,  they  can  turn  in 
the  alarm  to  the  department. 

We  visited  the  noted  Kansas  City  police  court, 
where  so  many  famous  cases  have  been  tried.  The 
Humane  Society  has  its  offices  in  the  City  Hall. 
The  agent  is  Col.  J.  C.  Greenman,  an  officer  of  the 
Civil  War.  He  takes  great  interest  in  the  work, 
and  has  enlisted  the  sympathy  of  the  public  school 
children,  4,000  of  whom  are  enrolled  as  members 
of  the  Band  of  Mercy,  and  who  declare  they  will 
"  speak  for  those  who  cannot  speak  for  themselves." 
The  Kansas  City  jail  does  not  compare  with  the 


WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 


Baltimore  jail  which  is  the  pink  of  cleanliness  and 
in  perfect  sanitary  condition;  this  one  is  not. 
Kansas  City  is  in  Jackson  county,  and  is  one  of  the 
two  county  seats,  the  other  being  Independence. 
There  are,  therefore,  two  county  jails.  There  is 
also  a  county  marshal,  who  attends  to  all  of  the 
criminal  business  of  the  county. 

The  fact  of  the  county  having  two  county  jails, 
which  were  provided  by  a  special  act  of  the  Legisla- 
ture, is  a  little  puzzling  to  strangers.  There  are 
fifteen  deputies.  The  Kansas  City  jail  has  at  pres- 
ent 155  prisoners,  60  of  whom  are  negroes,  and 
20  of  whom  are  females.  Five  are  in  for  murder, 
awaiting  trial.  In  this  State  they  never  hang  a 
woman.  A  negress  in  jail  here  who  confessed  the 
murder  for  which  she  was  arrested,  is  serving  a  term 
of  50  years.  There  have  been  only  seven  hangings 
in  this  State  —  the  last  execution  was  on  March 
3Oth,  of  this  year.  Lynching  is  unknown  here.  The 
prisoners  are  fed  twice  a  day,  at  7.30  a.  m.  and  1.30 
p.  m.  Good,  wholesome  food  is  served  them  from 
a  neat  and  clean  kitchen.  The  cooking  is  done  by 
steam.  It  was  a  sorrowful  sight  to  see  a  number 
of  children  among  the  prisoners,  one  a  boy  of  only 
ii  years,  who  had  snatched  a  pocket-book.  A 
white  boy  of  13  years  said  he  was  there  for  stealing 
a  horse,  but  that  his  father  had  "  put  him  up  to  it." 

What  amount  of  home  missionary  work  there  is 


WHAT    OTHERS    THINK    OF    US. 


for  the  good  people  who  want  to  evangelize  the 
world  !  Among  the  prisoners  is  the  notorious  Im- 
boden,  a  relative  of  the  General  of  that  name.  He 
is  an  extremely  clever  fellow,  and  well  educated. 
He  started  a  bank  in  Kansas  City  on  35  cents, 
"  roped  in  "  the  moneyed  men  of  the  town,  and 
bought  out  two  other  banks,  all  on  35  cents.  An- 
other of  the  distinguished  (?)  prisoners  is  a  first  ser- 
geant in  the  United  States  Signal  Corps,  who  saw 
active  service  during  the  late  war  with  Spain,  and 
who  was  in  the  charge  on  San  Juan  Hill.  He  is  in 
jail  here  for  having  stolen  a  lot  of  copper  wire  be- 
longing to  the  government.  He  is  an  interesting 
talker,  and  well  informed  on  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico, 
and  took  pleasure  in  showing  us  a  number  of  pic- 
tures he  had  photographed  of  various  scenes  at 
those  places. 

Missouri  is  said  to  have  the  largest  penitentiary 
in  the  United  States,  in  which  there  are  at  present 
2,600  prisoners.  In  the  county  jail  of  Kansas  City 
there  are  at  present  49  prisoners  serving  time,  and 
65  at  the  Independence  jail;  the  others  are  awaiting 
trial.  A  chain-gang  of  the  prisoners  serving  time 
in  the  jails  of  both  county  seats  is  to  be  formed,  and 
the  men  put  to  work  on  the  county  roads.  The 
county  doesn't  believe  in  supporting  the  prisoners 
in  idleness  for  an  indefinite  number  of  years. 

One  of  the  most  delightful  places  to  visit  in 


WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 


Kansas  City  is  the  Elks'  Home,  corner  of  7th  street 
and  Grand  avenue.  The  club  house  and  grounds 
occupy  a  space  of  1  12  by  1  13  feet,  and  cost  $40,000. 
The  building  is  the  Wisconsin  building  from  the 
World's  Fair,  and  was  brought  here  from  Chicago 
in  sections.  Indeed,  the  Elks'  handsome  club 
house  is  made  up  of  three  buildings  from  the 
World's  Fair  —  the  Indiana,  the  Fisheries  and  Wis- 
consin buildings. 

On  entering  the  foyer,  decorated  with  palms  and 
tropical  plants,  and  hung  with  elegant  tapestry  and 
handsome  oil-paintings,  the  mellow  light  from  the 
large  stained-glass  windows  above  the  double  stair- 
way of  the  Wisconsin  building  sheds  a  subdued 
glow;  and  one  stands  charmed  for  a  moment  by  the 
pleasing  effect,  which  is  indeed  artistic.  There  are 
340  members  of  the  B.  P.  O.  E.,  No.  26,  of  Kansas 
City.  Of  these  a  large  number  are  bachelors,  and 
have  sleeping  apartments  at  the  club,  where  the 
dormitory  is  handsomely  furnished. 

The  second  floor  of  the  building  is  appropriated 
for  reading-rooms,  pool-rooms  and  the  lodge-room. 
In  the  last  mentioned  is  the  mounted  head  of  an 
elk,  a  very  fine  specimen.  It  has  twelve  antlers, 
six  on  either  side  of  the  head,  and  is  illuminated 
with  a  red,  white  and  blue  incandescent  light,  and 
the  effect  is  very  beautiful.  This  head  has  been  in 
possession  of  the  Kansas  Elks  for  over  20  years. 


WHAT    OTHERS    THINK    OF    US.  193 

In  another  room  are  the  horns  of  a  steer  which 
measure  seven  feet  from  tip  to  tip.  One  of  the  bil- 
liard tables,  exquisitely  carved,  took  a  prize  at  the 
World's  Fair.  There  are  also  several  handsome 
paintings  here  from  the  World's  Fair,  and  a  num- 
ber of  pictures  of  Indians  in  costumes  made  of  elks' 
teeth.  When  one  realizes  the  elk  has  only  two 
teeth,  he  can  appreciate  how  long  it  takes  to  ac- 
cumulate enough  for  a  garment,  and  how  valuable 
it  must  necessarily  be. 

One  of  the  handsomest  apartments  in  the  Elks' 
Home  here  is  the  bar,  the  side  walls  of  which  are 
made  of  panels  of  glass  one  and  a  half  inches  thick, 
which  were  portions  of  the  Fishery  Building  at  the 
World's  Fair.  There  are  20  tons  of  glass  in  the 
walls,  and  each  panel  has  an  iridescent  backing  in 
green  and  looks  as  though  grass  and  ferns  are 
growing  behind  it.  The  frieze  is  ornamented  at 
intervals  with  a  bow  of  tiny  gondolas,  each  bearing 
an  incandescent  light.  When  the  prism  chande- 
liers are  lighted,  the  scene  is  one  of  fairy  land.  The 
Kansas  City  Elks  are  very  proud  of  their  handsome 
club  house,  which  is  said  to  be  the  most  elegantly 
equipped  Elks'  Home  in  the  country. 

In  seeing  the  sights  of  Kansas  City,  one  is  sure 
to  take  in  the  Mount  Candy  and  Cracker  Com- 
pany's plant,  at  the  northeast  corner  of  9th  and 
Santa  Fe  streets.  Here,  there  are  "  sweets  for  the 
13 


194  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

sweet,"  and  it  is  interesting  as  well  as  instructive 
to  see  that  candy,  like  everything  else,  ourselves 
included,  is  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made.  The 
Mount  Candy  and  Cracker  Company  has  a  plant 
occupying  80  by  100  feet.  Their  building  is  five 
stories  high  and  they  employ  120  hands,  half  of 
whom  are  women.  The  firm  does  a  large  business, 
and  on  the  day  of  our  visit  it  shipped  three  car- 
loads of  candy,  one  order,  to  a  firm  in  Joppa,  in 
the  central  part  of  the  State.  Three  car-loads  of 
crackers  had  also  been  shipped  to  the  same  firm  a 
few  days  previous. 

The  greater  part  of  the  candy  in  this  factory  is 
cooked  by  steam  in  a  vacuum,  the  thermometer 
registering  260  degrees.  An  interesting  feature  of 
candy-making  is  that  of  the  "  drops,"  which  are 
moulded  by  machinery  into  long  sheets,  that  when 
cool  are  so  brittle  the  "  drops "  easily  separate. 
Rolling  and  twisting  candy  into  sticks  is  also  a 
method  in  which  there  is  not  a  little  art.  In  the 
caramel  department  of  the  Mount  Company  there 
is  one  girl  whose  fingers  are  so  deft  and  skillful  in 
the  art  of  wrapping  caramels,  and  she  works  so 
rapidly,  one  can  scarcely  see  her  fingers;  she  really 
makes  them  "fly."  She  averages  800  pounds  of 
wrapped  candy  in  six  working-days,  and  earns  from 
$7.50  to  $9  per  week,  while  her  sister  laborers  earn 
only  $3.50  per  week. 

All  candy  is  not  made  of  sugar;  for  cheaper 


WHAT    OTHERS    THINK    OF    US. 


grades,  a  great  deal  of  glucose  is  used.  The  moulds 
for  the  better  grade  of  candy  are  made  of  rubber, 
those  for  cheaper  grades  are  made  of  starch. 

The  cracker  department  is  also  interesting  in  its 
details.  Here,  seven  barrels  of  flour  are  put  into 
one  hopper  at  a  time  and  made  up  into  dough. 
The  factory  averages  40  barrels  of  flour  per  day  for 
the  best  goods,  and  from  60  to  70  barrels  for  the 
ordinary  goods.  The  base  of  nearly  every  cracker 
is  a  vanilla  wafer,  and  from  these  are  shaped  and 
moulded  all  other  crackers  and  plain  and  fancy 
cakes.  The  dough  is  rolled  into  thin  sheets  by 
machinery,  and  baked  in  an  immense  oven,  on  re- 
volving metal  shelves.  In  this  way,  at  an  even 
temperature,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  burning  the 
crackers.  At  each  revolution,  some  are  removed, 
and  others  placed  in  the  oven.  Thus,  an  immense 
amount  of  work  is  accomplished  in  the  least  pos- 
sible time. 

Neatness  is  everywhere  apparent  in  the  Mount 
Candy  and  Cracker  Factory,  which  is  a  well  man- 
aged and  thoroughly  equipped  establishment.  Al- 
though visitors  are  not  generally  allowed,  through 
the  courtesy  of  the  management,  the  writer  was 
afforded  the  pleasant  privilege  extended  the 
chosen  few  of  seeing  the  inside  workings  of  the 
candy  factory,  and  of  having  the  novel  experience 
of  actually  walking  on  candy  —  a  rather  unusual 
occurrence  in  every  day  life. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE    ARMOUR    PACKING    COMPANY THE    GATEWAY    OF 

THE  WESTERN   FARMER  AND   STOCK   GROWER 
HOW  THE   KILLING   IS   DONE. 

Everybody  has  heard  of  the  great  Armour  Com- 
pany's packing-houses,  and  everybody  eats  some- 
thing in  the  course  of  a  year  that  has  passed 
through  either  the  Armour's  plant  at  Chicago  or 
the  one  at  Kansas  City.  To  go  through  one  of 
these  plants  is  a  sight  one  never  forgets. 

The  Armour  Packing  Company's  plant  in  Kan- 
sas City  is  situated  partly  in  Missouri  and  partly  in 
Kansas,  and  there  is  reason  for  crossing  the  line  of 
these  two  States,  as  we  shall  see  later.  The 
ground-acreage  covered  by  the  buildings,  and  used 
for  other  purposes,  is  30  acres.  The  floor-acreage 
in  the  buildings  is  90  acres,  and  that  of  the  cold-air 
rooms,  30  acres. 

The  storage-capacity  is  200,000,000  pounds. 
The  Armour  Beef  House  of  Kansas  City  is  the 
largest  in  the  world,  being  seven  stories  high,  with 
a  storage-capacity  of  15,000  dressed  cattle,  and 
covering  an  area  of  300  by  500  feet.  There  are 


ARMOUR    PACKING    COMPANY.  1 97 

i, 800  employees  at  the  Armour  Packing  Com- 
pany, who  clear  the  building  at  the  mid-day  hour  in 
five  minutes.  It  is  a  sight  worth  seeing  to  witness 
this  army  of  workers — men,  women  and  children — 
pour  forth  from  the  main  entrance  at  the  noon 
hour  to  get  their  luncheon.  It  reminds  one  of  a 
volcano  belching  forth  humanity. 

The  distribution  of  the  products  of  the  Armour 
Company  extends  to  every  country  in  the  world. 
In  the  various  departments  of  the  company's  plant 
almost  every  trade,  art  and  science  is  employed. 
In  the  lard-packing  room  are  tin  cans,  barrels  and 
hogsheads  filled  with  lard,  thousands  of  which  are 
packed  daily,  and  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  world. 
All  the  tin  cans  and  pails  used  for  packing  are  made 
on  the  premises.  There  are  14  ice-machines  here, 
producing  a  refrigeration  equal  to  the  melting  of 
1,350  tons  of  ice  every  24  hours.  There  are  6  en- 
gines that  run  the  ice-plant  and  pump  the  air  into 
30  acres  of  cold  storage.  These  engines  were  made 
by  the  Frick  Company,  of  Waynesboro,  Pennsylva- 
nia. 

All  refuse  is  drawn  off  into  tanks,  and  the  grease 
refuse  is  shipped  to  the  Armour  Company  at  Chi- 
cago for  soap  making,  as  no  soap  is  made  at  the 
Kansas  City  plant.  Cleanliness  is  a  dominant 
characteristic  throughout  the  plant,  and  the  tidiness 
of  all  the  departments  is  remarked  by  the  visitors. 


198  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

The  "  Silver  Churn  "  Butterine  rooms  are  as  clean 
as  the  kitchen  and  pantry  of  a  model  house-keeper. 
The  butterine  capacity  is  100,000  pounds  daily. 
We  spoke  of  the  plant  extending  across  the  line  of 
the  States  of  Kansas  and  Missouri.  By  an  act  of 
Legislature,  butterine  is  not  allowed  to  be  manu- 
factured in  the  State  of  Missouri.  This  department 
is  therefore  across  on  the  Kansas  side  of  the  plant. 
In  the  butterine  department,  a  large  number  of 
men  and  women  are  employed  in  moulding,  rolling 
and  wrapping  in  paraffine  paper  and  linen,  the 
prints  and  rolls  of  butterine,  which  are  packed  and 
shipped,  and  which  the  unwary  cannot  tell  from  the 
genuine  article,  "  all  wool  and  a  yard  wide." 

The  daily  killing-capacity  of  the  Armour  Pack- 
ing Company  in  Kansas  City  is  something  start- 
ling, but  the  following  figures  are  correct;  and  he 
who  doubts  may  come  here  and  see  for  himself  with 
what  dispatch  the  hog,  the  cow,  and  the  sheep  for- 
feits its  life  to  sustain  man's.  The  killing  is  quick- 
er than  lightning  and  like  it;  the  striking  never  oc- 
curs twice  in  the  same  place.  There  are  12,000 
hogs,  4,000  cattle  and  5,000  sheep  killed  here  daily. 
When  we  say  killed,  we  also  mean  cleaned,  dressed 
and  sent  into  the  refrigerating  room.  We  saw 
hogs  going  into  the  refrigerating  room  in  ten  min- 
utes after  we  had  seen  those  same  hogs  alive. 
Everything  is  done  with  neatness  and  dispatch,  and 


ARMOUR    PACKING    COMPANY.  199 

every  man  has  some  particular  part  in  the  work  of 
the  great  machinery  in  this  plant. 

The  cattle  are  herded  in  a  large  shed,  all  unmind- 
ful of  their  fate.  They  are  lifted  up  a  chute,  a  door 
raises  and  they  enter  their  death-trap,  a  small  box- 
like  apartment,  into  which,  as  they  enter,  they  are 
dealt  a  stunning  blow  between  the  eyes  with  a 
sledge-hammer. 

The  men  employed  for  this  work  are  skilled  in 
the  art  of  killing  these  animals,  and  sejdom  miss 
the  aim.  In  most  cases,  death  is  instantaneous, 
but  when  it  is  not,  the  animal  is  shot.  Like  human 
beings,  some  die  harder  than  others,  but  to  the  av- 
erage animal,  death  comes  quickly.  There  are  two 
cows  in  each  pen  and  six  pens  on  each  side,  making 
twelve  in  all.  Every  time  the  cattle  are  run  in,  the 
men,  two  of  whom  do  the  killing,  kill  an  average 
car-load  of  cattle,  which  is  24.  Immediately  after 
the  killing,  the  animals  roll  out,  are  attached  by  the 
hind  legs  to  an  iron  hook,  lifted  to  the  cog  over- 
head and  carried  to  one  of  the  largest  rooms  in  the 
building,  where  hundreds  of  men  are  at  work  tak- 
ing off  the  hides  and  heads,  and  cleaning  the  cattle 
yet  warm  in  their  life's  blood.  In  this  room,  one 
actually  "  wades  in  blood  "  to  use  the  extravagant 
expression  of  the  renowned  "  Teddy."  Here, 
skilled  laborers  are  employed.  One  man  takes  the 
head  off  quicker  than  you  can  wink. 


2OO  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

He  knows  just  where  to  stick  the  knife,  and  is  so 
accustomed  to  the  work,  he  can  take  a  cow's  head 
off  with  his  eyes  shut.  The  heads  are  split,  the 
brains  taken  out  and  the  head  ground  for  fertilizer. 
Nothing  in  this  world  is  wasted.  Everything  is 
utilized,  and  just  here  we  have  one  of  the  most  for- 
cible illustrations  of  this  truth.  The  horns  are 
mounted  and  used  for  various  things,  useful  and 
ornamental;  the  skins  are  tanned  and  sold  for  leath- 
er; the  hair  is  for  plaster-mixing,  and  the  intestines 
for  sausage  and  pudding.  Nothing  is  wasted,  even 
the  blood  of  the  hogs  is  used  for  purifying  a  certain 
kind  of  sugar,  and  the  best  blood  is  caught  in  vats 
and  sold.  Another  set  of  men  take  off  the  legs  at 
the  first  joint,  and  this  is  also  done  with  extraordi- 
nary dispatch.  From  the  time  a  cow  is  killed,  until 
it  is  skinned,  cleaned,  halved  and  hung  ready  to  be 
sent  into  the  refrigerating  room,  is  so  brief,  that  we 
actually  saw  the  muscles  of  several  animals  twitch 
as  they  were  on  their  way  to  the  cold  storage. 

The  killing  is  all  done  in  the  upper  stories  of  the 
building.  This  requires  a  great  deal  more  of  ma- 
chinery and  accompanying  expense,  but  better  fa- 
cilitates the  work.  The  skins  drop  down  seven 
stories  and  are  tanned  on  the  lots  below. 

The  lard  is  purified  in  vats  in  the  upper  stories  of 
Armour's,  where  it  is  churned  with  paddles  and 
made  as  white  as  snow.  It  then  passes  through 
pipes,  and  is  drawn  off  into  cans  and  kegs. 


ARMOUR    PACKING    COMPANY.  2OI 

The  electric-light  capacity  of  the  plant  is  enor- 
mous. One  can  understand  this  when  we  tell  you 
it  is  equal  to  that  of  a  well-lighted  city  of  25,000 
inhabitants,  or  in  other  words,  the  electric-light 
plant  here  would  be  sufficient  to  light  a  city  three 
times  as  large  as  Annapolis.  There  is  a  govern- 
ment inspector  employed  in  each  department  of  the 
plant. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  unique  and  interesting 
parts  of  the  plant  is  that  where  the  hog-killing  is 
done.  When  we  say  12,000  hogs  are  killed  daily 
at  this  plant,  it  seems  fabulous;  but  when  we  tell 
you  we  saw  hogs  sent  into  the  refrigerating  room 
ten  minutes  after  they  were  alive  and  squealing, 
now  all  scraped,  cleaned  and  dressed,  you  may 
credit  the  foregoing  statement. 

The  hog  is  ushered  into  his  death-trap  under  pro- 
test, and  grunts  and  quarrels  to  the  last  of  his  hog- 
ship.  Strung  up  by  the  hind  legs  they  are  sent 
along  a  cable  to  the  apartment  where  the  "  stick- 
ing" is  done.  With  the  blood  streaming  from 
them,  they  are  rolled  into  vats  of  scalding  water, 
hoisted  by  machinery  to  the  seventh  floor,  and  as 
they  ascend,  the  machinery  scrapes  them  clean.  At 
the  seventh  floor,  they  pass  along  the  cog  before 
an  array  of  skilled  workmen,  each  of  whom  does 
some  part  in  the  work  of  cleaning  and  dressing  the 
hog.  There  appears  to  be  an  "endless  chain"  of 
these  hogs. 


2O2  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

All  animals  killed  here  are  in  good  condition, 
and  most  of  them  are  fine  specimens.  Even  the 
cattle  killed  for  canned  goods  are  not  of  the  poor 
class  one  would  expect  this  line  to  be.  Any  visitor 
from  the  East  who  fails  to  see  the  Armour  Packing 
Company's  plant,  misses  a  great  sight  indeed,  and 
an  object-lesson  from  which  much  valuable  infor- 
mation is  to  be  obtained.  A  cordial  invitation  is  ex- 
tended by  the  company  to  the  general  public  to 
visit  its  plant  during  working-hours,  and  courteous 
guides  are  furnished  for  the  purpose  of  showing  the 
visitor  the  evolution  of  the  hog,  the  steer,  the  sheep 
and  the  chicken  into  the  varied  and  manifold  prod- 
ucts that  the  great  Armour  Packing  Company 
places  on  the  market. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  this  wonderful  pack- 
ing-house is  the  gateway  through  which  pour  the 
contributions  of  the  western  farmer  and  stock 
grower,  whose  supplies  keep  the  company's  chim- 
neys smoking.  The  finished  products  of  this  great 
Armour  Packing  Company  are  enjoyed  by  you, 
and  all  of  the  carnivorous  public. 

Kansas  City  promises  to  be  a  city  of  conventions, 
and  to  this  end  she  has  prepared  herself  by  building 
the  largest  auditorium  in  this  country. 

Convention  Hall,  for  so  it  is  called,  is  a  marvel  in 
size  and  architecture,  and  a  monument  to  the  enter- 
prise of  a  great  city  which  "  has  on  a  big  boom  " 


ARMOUR    PACKING    COMPANY.  203 

in  the  closing  years  of  this  famous  nineteenth  cen- 
tury. It  is  the  hall  in  which  the  National  Demo- 
cratic Convention  will  be  held  in  July  and  is  situ- 
ated at  Thirteenth  and  Central  streets,  four  blocks 
from  the  retail  district  of  the  city.  It  has  been 
classed  by  travelers  as  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
perfectly  constructed  auditoriums  in  the  world. 

Convention  Hall  was  built  by  the  people  of  Kan- 
sas City.  A  series  of  entertainments  were  held  for 
which  25-cent  tickets  were  sold.  Everybody  pa- 
tronized, and  the  funds  were  soon  raised  to  build 
the  hall,  which  cost  $400,000.  Its  seating-capacity 
is  25,000,  and  its  most  unique  feature  is  that  there 
is  not  a  stair  in  the  building. 

Although  there  are  three  galleries,  the  ascent  is 
made  by  an  incline,  a  winding  entrance,  reminding 
one  of  a  burro-trail  up  a  mountain  pass.  The  Kan- 
sas City  Convention  Hall  has  the  distinguished 
honor  of  being  the  only  building  in  the  world  in 
which  one  can  go  from  pit  to  dome  on  a  bicycle. 
Although  such  an  immense  building,  occupying 
four  blocks  and  seating  25,000  people  (three  times 
as  many  as  the  inhabitants  of  Annapolis),  the  Con- 
vention Hall  can  be  cleared  in  a  few  minutes,  as 
there  are  any  number  of  exits  on  each  of  the  four 
streets  by  which  it  is  bounded  and  from  the  bal- 
conies and  roof-garden.  It  is  estimated  that  the 
hall  can  be  emptied  at  the  rate  of  5,000  per  minute. 


2O4  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

The  first  story  of  Convention  Hall  is  of  the  re- 
naissance style  of  architecture,  the  second  story 
in  peristyle,  with  groups  of  columns.  The  build- 
ing is  of  bridge  construction,  without  a  column, 
the  roof  being  supported  by  great  steel  girders  that 
span  its  200  feet  of  breadth.  Its  interior  is  white 
with  brown  trimmings.  Its  acoustic  properties  are 
perfect  and  received  especial  praise.  Hon.  Wil- 
liam J.  Bryan,  who  last  June  addressed  the  head 
camp  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  in  the 
hall,  said  later: 

"  It  is  hard  to  conceive  how  Convention  Hall 
could  be  improved  upon  for  the  purpose  of  large 
public  gatherings." 

Maurice  Grau  and  Dwight  L.  Moody,  the  evan- 
gelist, also  praised  it  highly. 

Anywhere  in  the  building  the  speakers  or  singers 
on  the  stage  can  be  heard  with  distinctness.  In 
Convention  Hall,  all  entertainments  are  held,  and 
it  is  usually  filled  when  anything  is  going  on  there. 
To  see  the  lower  floor,  boxes,  stalls,  loges,  and 
galleries  filled,  to  gaze  on  25,000  people  assembled 
in  one  building,  to  look  out  over  this  sea  of  human 
faces  is  indeed  thrilling  and  awe-inspiring.  Chi- 
cago has  made  several  attempts  to  build  such  a  hall, 
but  before  completion  the  structure  has  burned 
down  or  collapsed,  as  it  did  recently.  Kansas  City, 
therefore,  bears  the  palm  in  convention  halls,  and 


ARMOUR    PACKING    COMPANY.  2O5 

in  this,  as  in  several  other  things,  outranks  the 
Windy  City. 

It  was  our  good  pleasure  to  see  Convention  Hall 
in  almost  every  phase  of  entertainment,  and  thus 
get  an  idea  of  its  usefulness.  One  of  these  was  the 
Megaphone  Minstrels,  given  during  carnival  week 
by  125  of  Kansas  City's  society  business  men,  who 
were  well  trained  by  their  musical  director,  and 
many  of  whom  did  themselves  credit  in  rag-time 
melodies  and  the  cake-walk.  The  Megaphone 
Minstrels  are  always  a  feature  of  carnival  week,  and 
their  announcement  means  a  crowded  house  and  a 
successful  entertainment.  The  "  Karnival  Krew 
Bal  Masque  "  was  also  held  here.  This  was  a  novel 
sight  to  an  Easterner.  The  floor  was  cleared  for 
dancing,  and  thousands  of  characters,  historical 
and  grotesque,  mingled  here  in  a  sea  of  colors. 

Dinahs  and  Topsys  danced  with  Deweys,  Schleys 
and  Uncle  Sam;  ballet  girls  with  monks.  Hand- 
some and  valuable  prizes  were  given  the  best  cos- 
tumes and  groups.  The  "  chain-gang  "  was  a  tak- 
ing group  of  ten  men  in  prison  garb,  who  did  the 
lock  step. 

The  most  unique  figure  was  the  double  woman. 
She  had  two  faces,  two  bonnets,  two  aprons  and 
two  fans,  each  of  which  she  used  with  dexterity. 
Her  shoes  turned  the  toes  both  ways.  She  walked 
backward  and  forward  with  equal  cleverness,  fan- 


2O6  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

ning  herself  in  either  position.  Indeed  it  was  im- 
possible to  tell  whether  she  was  going  to  school  or 
coming  home. 

An  interesting  feature  of  this  particular  evening 
was  the  grand  march,  in  which  there  were  over 
1,500  people.  The  Chinese  in  Kansas  City  are  a 
numerous  colony.  They  took  as  much  interest  in 
the  carnival  as  those  to  the  manner  born.  They 
paid  $2,000  to  the  San  Francisco  colony  to  get  the 
costumes  worn  in  the  parade.  With  their  accou- 
trements, flags  and  musical  instruments,  they  pa- 
raded the  hall  several  times  to  the  strains  of  their 
music,  which,  however,  is  without  harmony  or 
symphony. 

Another  entertainment  held  at  Convention  Hall 
during  our  sojourn  in  Kansas  City  was  the  national 
female  bicycle  race,  in  which  there  were  eight  con- 
testants for  the  world's  championship.  France, 
Germany,  Sweden  and  America  were  represented, 
the  latter  by  a  Kansas  City,  a  Minneapolis  and  a 
Chicago  girl.  In  its  new  phase,  Convention  Hall 
presented  another  feature  of  its  usefulness.  The 
track  was  elevated  to  an  angle  of  50  degrees. 
Twelve  laps  was  a  mile.  The  contest  lasted  six 
nights,  an  hour  and  a  half  each  night.  The  cham- 
pion of  America,  the  Chicago  girl,  won  each  night, 
and  therefore  holds  the  championship  of  the  world 
among  female  bicycle  riders.  The  contest  was  ex- 
citing throughout,  and  very  close. 


ARMOUR    PACKING    COMPANY.  207 

On  another  occasion,  the  great  Convention  Hall 
was  the  scene  of  the  Kansas  City  Horse  Show.  A 
horse  show  anywhere  is  a  very  swell  society  event, 
and  swelldom  is  always  there,  and  "  Solomon  in  all 
his  glory  was  not  arrayed  like  one  of  these."  Horse 
shows  have  long  since  become  full-dress  parades 
for  society  women,  and  the  Kansas  City  show  was 
no  exception.  The  arena  was  covered  with  tan 
bark,  and  there  was  no  sound  of  horses'  hoofs.  The 
arena  was-  112x200  feet,  surrounded  by  a  1 2-foot 
promenade.  The  fine  array  of  carriage-horses, 
saddle-horses,  high  steppers  and  hunters  was  the 
strongest  argument  that  the  horse  has  by  no  means 
"  had  his  day,"  nor  is  to  be  relegated  into  innocuous 
desuetude.  The  horse  show  here  compares  favor- 
ably with  that  of  New  York,  and  is  as  great  a  so- 
ciety event. 

There  seems  to  be  nothing  that  cannot  be  held 
in  the  Convention  Hall,  as  it  is  capable  of  meta- 
morphosis from  a  Priest  of  Pallas  grand  ball,  and 
Megaphone  Minstrels  to  a  horse  show  and  bicycle 
race-track.  Western  cities  are  famous  for  carni- 
vals. They  begin  in  mid-summer  with  the  Peach 
Carnival  in  Colorado,  the  watermelon  and  the 
grand  husking  party,  the  great  flower  carnival  at 
Colorado  Springs,  and  extend  all  along  the  States 
to  Illinois,  where  Chicago  has  her  Fall  Festival. 
Denver's  carnival  is  called  the  "  Silver  Serpent," 


2O8  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

and  the  floats  and  characters  of  the  street-parade 
carry  out  the  idea  in  a  shimmering,  glistening  mass 
of  color  and  iridescence.  It  is  held  the  last  of  Sep- 
tember, and  like  Katisha's  left  elbow,  people  come 
miles  to  see  it.  It  is  not,  however,  to  be  seen  only 
on  presentation  of  visiting-card,  but  it  is  free.  This 
year  it  was  a  grand  success,  and  merchants  did  a 
red-letter  business.  Denver's  carnival  lasts  a  week. 

Kansas  City  "  goes  one  better " ;  her  carnival 
lasts  ten  days.  She  has  christened  hers  the  "  Priest 
of  Pallas"  and  "  K.  K.  K.,"  which  transcribed 
means  the  "  Kansas  Karnival  Krew."  Kansas 
City's  street-fair  far  excelled  that  of  Denver.  Here 
the  street-fair  had  displays  of  every  mart  of  trade 
represented  in  this  most  enterprising  mid-continent 
metropolis.  There  was  machinery  showing  the 
workings  of  soap  factories  and  manufactories  of  all 
sorts.  Two  firms  had  an  exhibition  of  how  they 
manufactured  overalls,  shirts,  ladies'  waists,  dresses, 
and  so  forth.  In  the  street-fair,  we  saw  each  step 
in  the  work;  and  here  there  were  dozens  of  working 
men  and  women  with  the  machinery  buzzing 
around  them,  each  doing  his  or  her  own  particular 
part  of  the  garment.  Was  there  ever  such  enter- 
prise in  the  East?  Think  of  the  expense  that  one 
of  these  exhibits  in  the  street-fair  entailed;  yet  the 
business  men  here  do  not  hesitate  for  that. 

An  admission  of  10  cents  was  charged  at  the 


ARMOUR    PACKING    COMPANY.  2OQ 

street-fair  during  carnival  season,  and  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  dollars  were  the  gate  receipts.  This 
is  a  hustling,  bustling  community.  Everybody  is 
wide  awake  and  up  and  doing.  There  are  no  idlers 
here,  no  drones  in  the  bee-hive,  and  this  is  the  se- 
cret of  their  success. 

Kansas  City  is  building  a  Paseo,  or  public  park 
along  her  principal  thoroughfare.  It  is  to  have 
fountains,  a  colonnade  and  when  completed  will 
cost  $100,000. 

About  ten  years  ago — from  '85  to  '89 — the  bot- 
tom dropped  out  of  real  estate  here,  and  a  number 
of  moneyed  men  went  down  with  the  crash.  Busi- 
ness now,  however,  is  booming,  and  ground,  that 
once  sold  for  $100  an  acre,  cannot  be  bought  to- 
day for  $100  a  square  foot. 

There  are  not  many  wheels  in  Kansas  City. 
There  are  so  many  hills,  bluffs  and  "  inclines  "  that 
riding  a  bicycle  is  almost  too  great  a  physical  feat 
for  the  average  Kansas  Cityan.  Kansas  City  is  in 
this  respect  also  unlike  Denver,  where  there  are 
40,000  wheels  and  one-fourth  of  the  population, 
men,  women  and  children,  ride  a  bicycle  to  the  det- 
riment of  the  car  companies. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

KANSAS  CITY  SIDE-LIGHTS  AND  A  FEW  CHORDS  OF  ITS 
SOCIAL    HARMONIES. 

There  is  a  Curfew  law  in  Kansas  City.  At  9 
o'clock  in  the  evening  the  Curfew  sounds  in  warn- 
ing notes,  and  all  children  on  the  streets  unaccom- 
panied by  parents  are  taken  in  charge  by  the  legal 
authorities. 

Kansas  City  is  a  distinctly  representative  com- 
munity. There  are  people  here  from  all  points  of 
the  compass,  and  all  parts  of  the  United  States — 
North,  East,  South  and  West.  There  are  many 
elegant  homes  and  handsome  residences  here,  and 
a  great  deal  of  wealth  is  represented.  There  are  a 
number  of  multi-millionaires  in  Kansas  City. 

There  are  beautiful  drives  throughout  the  city, 
and  no  city  has  finer  boulevards.  Kansas  City  dif- 
fers from  most  other  cities.  One  can  go  up  into  a 
building  two  or  three  stories  and  still  be  on  the 
ground  floor.  Kansas  City,  like  Chicago,  has  its 
street-railway  tunneled  under  some  of  its  streets. 
One  of  these  tunnels  extends  for  three  blocks 
through  a  bluff. 

Theatres  are  open  on  Sunday  in  Kansas  City,  as 


KANSAS    CITY    SIDE-LIGHTS.  211 

they  are  all  through  the  West,  and  Sabbath-break- 
ing horrifies  the  Easterner. 

Until  recently  the  names  of  the  streets  were  not 
marked  at  the  street  corners,  but  an  appropriation 
of  several  thousand  dollars  has  been  made,  and 
the  signs  bearing  the  names  are  fast  going  up. 
Some  streets  have  the  names  carved  in  the  side- 
walks at  the  street  corners.  In  the  past  year,  there 
have  been  50  miles  of  sidewalk  laid  in  Kansas  City, 
where  there  was  formerly  board  walk. 

Kansas  City  has  the  largest  manufactory  of  agri- 
cultural implements  in  the  world.  It  has  five  pack- 
ing-houses and  these,  together  with  its  stock-yards, 
employ  8,321  persons,  equal  to  over  40,000  people 
directly  dependent  on  them  for  a  living.  Their 
killing-capacity  is  10,000  cattle,  25,000  hogs  and 
6,000  sheep  daily. 

Its  manufactures  consist  of  smelters,  saw-mills, 
breweries,  iron  and  steel,  brick  and  clay,  flour  and 
meal,  candy,  furniture,  box  factories,  agricultural 
implements,  harness,  planing-mills,  lime,  soap,  ice, 
oil,  tinware,  mattresses,  paints,  carriages,  cooper- 
age, syrups,  glue,  copper  works,  brooms,  awnings 
and  gas.  One-third  of  the  cattle  in  the  entire 
United  States  as  given  by  the  Agricultural  Depart- 
ment in  Washington,  is  here  in  the  Kansas  City 
market. 

There  are  numerous  handsome  stores  in  Kansas 


212  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

City,  and  they  do  an  extensive  business.  The  mer- 
chants believe  in  advertising  their  stock,  and  the 
daily  papers  are  full  of  "ads."  of  all  business 
houses  in  the  city.  One  street  in  the  shopping 
district  is  called  Petticoat  Lane,  because  the  ladies 
frequent  this  locality.  Most  of  the  stores  are  de- 
partment stores,  and  one  can  here  purchase  any- 
thing from  a  shoe-string  to  a  brickhouse.  The 
largest  establishments  have  tea-rooms  in  the  upper 
floors,  where  a  delicious  luncheon,  with  the  best 
service,  may  be  had  at  moderate  prices. 

A  feature  of  the  schools  is  the  cloak-rooms.  At 
the  Manual  Training  High  School  each  pupil  has 
his  or  her  own  locker  with  a  key,  the  same  as  a  club- 
man has.  In  this  way  there  is  no  trouble  from  loss 
of  wraps  or  misappropriation  of  overshoes. 

In  the  West  there  is  always  an  "  Orpheum " 
theatre  and  a  "  Trocadero  "  in  every  city,  and  Kan- 
sas City  is  no  exception. 

Among  the  prominent  cigar  stores  there  is  one 
of  which  Jesse  James,  son  of  the  late  notorious 
highwayman  of  that  name,  is  proprietor.  He  is 
very  proud  of  his  name  and  the  notoriety  attached 
thereto,  and  is  largely  patronized. 

Kansas  City  is  all  we  have  claimed  for  it,  and 
more.  It  is  a  typical  western  city,  filled  with  east- 
ern people,  yet  it  is  far  ahead  of  us  in  many  ways. 
We,  of  the  South  and  East,  are  a  cultured  people 


KANSAS    CITY    SIDE-LIGHTS.  213 

with  high  ideas  and  aspirations.  Let  us  awake 
from  the  lethargy  in  which  we  have  too  long  in- 
dulged! Let  us  get  some  of  this  enterprise  and 
progressive  spirit  of  the  West,  and  let  us  attain  that 
high  place  in  the  business  world  for  which  our  capa- 
bilities and  environments  have  so  eminently  fitted 
us! 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

"  ARMOUR  ROSE  "   SELLS    FOR  $2,5OO — THE   FAMOUS 

KANSAS   CITY   STOCK-YARDS — A  SIGHT  WORTH 

SEEING — FROM  KANSAS  CITY  TO  OMAHA 

OVER    THE    BURLINGTON    ROUTE 

— OMAHA,    THE    SCENE    OF 

THE  GREAT  WESTERN 

EXPOSITION. 

Few  people  who  hear  and  read  of  "  stock-yards  " 
realize  what  they  are,  or  have  any  real  conception  of 
their  enormous  size  and  the  great  amount  of  busi- 
ness done  here.  The  Kansas  City  Stock- Yards  are 
famous.  They  are  located  in  the  "  Bottoms  "  and 
after  a  long  car-ride  the  visitor  reaches  the  inter- 
esting locality. 

The  best  time  to  visit  the  stock-yards  is  early  in 
the  morning,  when  some  of  our  Maryland  folk  are 
not  up,  for  we  are  not  very  early  risers  in  Maryland 
towns.  At  half  past  three,  all  is  astir  in  the  stock- 
yards, and  business  has  been  going  on  for  quite  a 
while.  Cattlemen  are  driving  from  pen  to  pen,  in- 
specting the  stock  preparatory  to  making  a  large 
deal  in  the  same. 


FROM    KANSAS    CITY   TO    OMAHA.  215 

One  ascends  a  small  flight  of  steps  at  any  con- 
venient portion  at  the  outskirts  of  the  yards,  stands 
on  the  platform  and  "views  the  landscape  o'er." 
Miles  and  miles  of  cattle  appear  to  stretch  out  in  all 
directions  as  far  as  one  can  see.  These  are  herded 
together  in  numerous  compartments,  waiting  to 
be  sold,  and  perhaps  to  be  killed  that  very  day. 
As  soon  as  it  is  daylight  the  cattlemen  ride  through 
the  various  avenues  of  this  vast  yard,  inspecting  the 
stock,  the  merits  of  which  are  set  forth  by  the 
guides,  employees  of  the  company. 

When  sold,  each  man's  stock  is  herded  in  sepa- 
rate enclosures  and  finally  driven  over  an  incline 
and  across  the  bridges  to  the  Armour,  Swift  or 
Dold  packing-houses.  Not  an  animal  that  is  in 
this  vast  arena  early  in  the  morning  is  there  in  the 
evening.  Every  one  of  the  thousands  and  thous- 
ands has  been  sold,  and  the  next  morning  sees  a 
new  lot  in  their  places.  In  1898,  9,268,635  cattle 
were  driven  out  of  these  stock-yards  for  packers' 
and  city  use  alone,  not  to  speak  of  the  calves,  sheep, 
horses  and  mules  driven  out.  The  cattle  business 
is  an  immense  business  here,  and  the  Kansas  City 
Stock- Yards  are  the  largest  in  the  world.  In  the 
neighborhood  of  the  stock-yards  is  the  cattle-show, 
and  the  auction-rooms  where  fine  blooded  stock  are 
put  up  for  sale. 

The  scene  in  the  auction-room  is  a  very  exciting 


2l6  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

one.  The  owner  displays  his  fine  stock  to  the  best 
advantage.  After  having  the  animal  bathed,  and 
his  horns  polished,  his  hair  curled  and  brushed  until 
its  gloss  is  equal  to  that  of  a  colonial  dame's  pride 
and  glory  and  crowning  adornment,  he  walks  the 
animal  around  the  arena  of  the  auction-room  for 
public  inspection  and  admiration.  The  inspection 
begins  at  9  o'clock,  when  the  auctioneer  tells  of  the 
genealogical  history  of  the  blooded  cattle  to  be 
sold.  Indeed,  to  hear  the  auctioneer  tell  who  the 
animal's  sire  and  grandsire  were,  and  dwell  upon  his 
choice  combination  of  blue  blood,  and  high  class 
of  individual  merits,  one  would  suppose  the  cow's 
ancestors  came  over  in  the  Mayflower  with  all  the 
rest  of  aristocracy.  (It's  a  wonder  that  the  May- 
flower didn't  sink,  anyway!)  After  the  animal's 
history  and  family-record  are  given  and  the  several 
branches  of  the  family-tree  flutter  and  bend  in  the 
breeze  of  ancestral  pride,  the  bidding  begins,  spir- 
ited and  lively. 

The  auctioneer  warms  up  to  his  business.  He 
pleads  for  order  and  quiet.  He  becomes  hoarse, 
then  grows  warmer,  and  finally  takes  off  his  coat 
with  one  hand,  while  he  mops  the  perspiration  from 
his  brow  with  the  other.  Even  the  women  (for 
there  are  a  couple  of  dozen  present),  begin  to  catch 
the  contagion  of  excitement,  and  are  on  tiptoe  of 
expectancy  to  see  who  the  purchaser  of  that  grand 


FROM    KANSAS    CITY    TO    OMAHA.  217 

specimen  of  the  Curtice  Hereford  stock  is  to  be. 
The  auctioneer  puts  up  Lamplighter,  Jr.,  son  of 
the  World's  Fair  prize-winner.  He  weighs  2,380 
pounds,  and  has  a  long  line  of  distinguished  blood- 
ed ancestry  to  back  him.  Lamplighter,  Jr.,  finally 
sells  for  only  $1,000.  Stock  of  the  Hereford  sort 
comes  high,  but  the  cattlemen  must  have  it,  and 
after  all,  a  thousand  dollars  isn't  much  to  pay  for 
an  animal  that  may  die  next  day  or  that  same  night. 
Oh,  no,  "  Armour  Rose,"  the  famous  cow  that  help- 
ed to  build  the  Kansas  City  Convention  Hall,  sold 
for  $2,500  the  day  previous. 

Armour  Rose  is  two  years  old  and  weighs 
1,200  pounds.  She  is  also  of  the  Hereford  stock, 
and  is  as  pretty  and  chubby  as  can  be.  She  was 
sold  to  John  Sparks,  of  Nevada  for  $2,500.  She  is 
a  cow  with  a  history.  Mr.  Armour  gave  her  to  be 
voted  for,  or  raffled,  the  proceeds  to  be  appropri- 
ated to  building  the  large  auditorium  in  Kansas 
City.  She  was  won  by  a  lady,  to  whom  Mr.  Ar- 
mour offered  $1,000  in  cash,  for  the  cow.  The  lady 
did  what  any  of  us  would  have  done,  accepted  the 
thousand,  and  Mr.  Armour  took  the  cow.  The 
next  day  Armour  Rose  was  put  up  at  auction  at 
the  stock-yards  and  brought  two  and  a  half  times 
as  much,  to  the  discomfiture  of  the  winner.  The 
Hereford  stock  have  dark-brown  curly  hair,  short 
brightly  polished  horns,  dark-brown  legs  and  white 


2l8  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

feet.  They  are  beautiful  cattle,  and  said  to  be  very 
valuable.  A  visit  to  the  stock-yards,  cattle-show 
and  auction-room  impresses  one  that  cattle  are  like 
people,  there  is  a  great  deal  in  their  stock,  and  good 
blood  and  a  long  line  of  ancestry  stand  for  some- 
thing the  world  over. 

Leaving  the  Kansas  City  Stock- Yards,  we 
wended  our  way  to  the  station,  preparatory  to  start- 
ing for  Omaha,  and  the  Trans-Mississippi  Exposi- 
tion at  that  time  in  progress.  It  was  not  without 
regret  that  we  said  good-bye  to  Kansas  City,  and 
the  many  kind  friends  who  had  shown  us  the  inter- 
esting sights  and  scenes  of  that  progressive  West- 
ern metropolis.  Our  route  this  trip  was  over  the 
Burlington,  one  of  the  most  popular  roads  of  the 
West  and  Northwest,  and  a  road  which  is  well 
patronized.  Its  road-bed  is  easy,  its  cars  among 
the  finest  equipped  in  the  West,  with  all  modern 
conveniences  and  appliances,  its  service  complete 
and  its  officials  polite,  courteous  and  obliging. 

From  Kansas  City  to  Omaha,  the  Burlington 
Route  runs  through  the  Missouri  Valley,  rich  in 
farm  lands.  Here,  large  farms  of  grain  stretch 
away  for  miles,  and  this  is  one  of  the  largest  and 
richest  farm  districts  in  the  country.  We  saw  a 
farm  of  i  ,200  acres  of  corn  which  produces  70  bush- 
els to  the  acre,  and  which  is  owned  by  one,  Mr. 
Rankins.  Our  train  put  off  100  men  at  this  point 
to  be  employed  in  corn-husking  on  this  farm. 


FROM    KANSAS    CITY   TO    OMAHA.  2 19 

Observing  the  moist,  black  soil,  common  along 
the  route,  we  inquired  relative  to  its  usefulness. 
It  is  called  gumbo,  and  is  taken  to  Watson,  burned 
in  a  kiln  and  becomes  a  red  clay,  and  is  used  along 
the  Burlington  road-bed  for  ballast.  The  first 
town  across  the  line  in  Iowa  is  Hamburg,  a  thrifty 
business-like  little  city. 

We  have  always  been  gifted  with  a  great  amount 
of  southern  pride,  and  the  following  little  pleasan- 
try has  a  tendency  to  enhance  that  vainglorious- 
ness. 

"  I  am  sure  you  are  a  southern  lady,"  said  the 
conductor  whom  we  had  been  interrogating. 
"Why  do  you  think  so?"  we  inquired.  "Be- 
cause you  are  so  careful  to  say  '  thank  you '  for  any 
little  service  rendered,  and  I  have  noticed  that 
southern  ladies  are  always  mindful  of  this.  I  have 
been  on  this  road  for  sixteen  years,  and  come  in 
contact  with  a  great  many  people  in  the  course  of 
a  year,  and  even  in  the  course  of  a  day.  I  am  some- 
what observant  myself,  and  it  has  been  my  experi- 
ence that  the  most  appreciative  and  polite  ladies 
who  travel  are  from  the  South.  They  never  forget 
their  manners."  We  have  been  shaking  hands  with 
ourselves  ever  since. 

The  Burlington  Station  at  Omaha  is  a  gem  of 
loveliness.  It  cost  $400,000,  and  is  the  handsom- 
est station  in  the  United  States,  except  the  one  at 


220  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

St.  Louis.  It  is  built  of  granite  in  the  Greek  and 
Roman  style  of  architecture,  with  massive  Doric 
pillars  on  the  exterior,  supporting  the  entrance 
above  which  are  cut  in  the  stone,  figures  and  char- 
acters representative  of  western  industry,  such  as 
mining,  agriculture,  and  so  forth.  The  design  of 
the  entrance  to  this  depot  is  very  similar  to  that  of 
Gen.  Grant's  tomb  at  Riverside  Park,  New  York. 

In  the  interior,  the  pillars  are  of  onyx,  the  side 
walls  of  marble  tiling  and  the  floors  of  mosaic  pat- 
tern. The  chandeliers,  of  brass,  with  myriads  of 
incandescent  lights,  shed  a  soft  mellow  glow,  and 
the  effect  in  this  marble  palace  is  indeed  beautiful. 
Palms  and  tropical  plants  decorate  the  rotunda  and 
waiting-rooms,  and  one  imagines  himself  in  one  of 
the  World's  Fair  buildings  or  a  mausoleum  rather 
than  a  railroad  station.  No  expense  has  been 
spared  to  make  the  Burlington  depot  at  Omaha  a 
magnificent  building,  thoroughly  equipped  with 
every  comfort  and  convenience,  besides  being  most 
artistic  in  ornament  and  design.  Coming  into 
Omaha  by  this  route,  one  is  favorably  impressed 
with  the  sight. 

Omaha  has  a  population  of  105,000.  It  is  a 
clean  attractive  city  with  many  handsome  buildings 
and  elegant  homes.  Like  Denver  and  Kansas  City, 
it  is  noted  for  its  excellent  school  system  and  hand- 
some school-buildings.  The  Omaha  High  School 


FROM    KANSAS    CITY   TO    OMAHA.  221 

is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  country.  The  building, 
an  imposing  red-brick  structure  considerably  pff 
from  the  public  thoroughfare  and  on  a  high,  ter- 
raced elevation,  was  once  the  State  capitol  building. 
When  the  capital  was  removed  to  Lincoln,  this 
building  was  taken  for  the  high  school.  There  are 
over  2,000  pupils  enrolled  at  this  school.  The 
Lake  Street  School  is  next  in  size  to  the  Omaha 
High  School.  The  court  house  is  a  handsome 
granite  building,  located  amid  beautifully  terraced 
grounds.  The  postoffice  is  another  handsome 
building  of  which  Omaha  may  feel  proud. 

Across  the  Missouri  river  from  Omaha,  Ne- 
braska, is  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  a  city  of  no  little 
importance.  Many  men  doing  business  in  Omaha 
reside  at  Council  Bluffs.  Omaha,  the  seat  of  the 
Trans-Mississippi  Exposition  of  last  year,  and  the 
Greater  America  Exposition  of  this  year,  has  sur- 
prised the  world.  Coming  Expositions  may  be 
bigger  in  point  of  size,  but  in  point  of  beauty  and 
interest  the  Omaha  Exposition  will  probably  never 
be  excelled. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  OMAHA  EXPOSITION — ITS  BEAUTIES  DISSOLVED 

FOREVER — THE    LAST    GREAT    EDUCATIONAL 

AND    AMUSEMENT    ENTERPRISE    OF 

THE    CENTURY. 

On  November  ist,  the  Omaha  Exposition,  the 
last  great  educational  and  amusement  enterprise  of 
the  century,  passed  into  history,  and  its  countless 
beauties  dissolved  forever. 

There  is  something  pathetic  in  the  reflection  that 
never  again  within  the  lives  of  most  of  those  of  the 
present  generation,  will  another  opportunity  be  of- 
fered the  people  of  the  great  West  such  an  exposi- 
tion within  their  midst  as  the  Greater  America  Ex- 
position just  closed. 

It  has  been  in  progress  two  years.  Last  year  it 
was  known  as  the  Trans-Mississippi  Exposition, 
and  was  the  first  of  its  scope  and  magnitude  which 
history  has  allotted  to  the  West.  Its  wonderful 
proportions,  and  its  unprecedented  success  were  a 
world's  surprise.  Its  successor,  the  Greater  Amer- 
ica Exposition,  born  of  its  embers,  rivaled  it  in 
magnitude,  and  surpassed  it  in  beauty  and  educa- 


THE    OMAHA    EXPOSITION.  223 

tional  worth,  but  was  not  so  successful  in  point  of 
attendance.  For  this  latter  reason,  many  interest- 
ed in  the  enterprise,  lost  money  this  year. 

Expositions  are  the  indices  of  the  progress  of  all 
that  is  best  in  civilization.  They  are  growing  in 
popularity,  especially  in  the  South  and  West.  The 
immediate  future  is  rich  in  promises  of  great  na- 
tional and  international  enterprises  of  this  char- 
acter. This  year  brings  the  world's  fair  at  Paris; 
in  1901,  Buffalo  will  open  its  gates  to  the  com- 
mercial, industrial  and  educational  world;  in  1902, 
will  occur  the  Ohio  Centennial  and  Northwest 
Territory  Exposition  at  Toledo,  and  in  1903, 
St.  Louis  will  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  the 
Louisiana  purchase.  Each  of  these  will  doubtless 
be  the  wonder  of  its  day,  as  its  builders  will  have 
had  the  benefit  of  the  experience  of  former  build- 
ers; but  never  again  within  the  lives  of  most  of 
them  will  the  people  of  the  West  enjoy  an  oppor- 
tunity to  witness  so  grand  and  edifying  a  spectacle 
within  their  doors  as  the  one  whose  beauties  have 
dissolved  forever.  Expositions  like  the  one  just 
closed  at  Omaha  are  of  more  educational  value  than 
a  year's  ordinary  schooling. 

The  main  buildings  for  exhibit  purposes,  occu- 
pied over  700,000  square  feet,  and  every  foot  of  it 
was  occupied  by  varied  lines  of  exhibits  of  unpre- 
cedented beauty  and  richness.  The  buildings  were 


224  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

all  white,  and  reminded  one  of  that  great  "  White 
City  "  at  Chicago  seven  years  ago  at  the  World's 
Fair.  These  buildings  were  all  of  ornate  design, 
classic  architecture  and  stately  proportions,  sur- 
rounding a  wide  lagoon  with  picturesque  balus- 
trades and  connected  by  alluring  and  beautiful  col- 
onnades. In  these  buildings  was  to  be  seen  the 
most  interesting,  if  not  the  most  comprehensive, 
representation  of  the  products  of  American  inge- 
nuity and  handicraft  ever  attempted,  showing  by 
means  of  model  machinery  in  actual  operation,  the 
processes  by  which  American  artisans  outstrip  the 
rest  of  the  world  in  the  excellence  and  abundance 
of  the  products  of  their  labor. 

The  dominant  purpose  of  the  Greater  America 
Exposition  project  was  to  bring  the  American 
people  into  actual  contact  with  representative  types 
of  the  remote,  but  interesting  sea-girt  lands  known 
as  the  Philippine  Islands,  as  well  as  Cuba,  Porto 
Rico  and  Hawaii.  To  this  end,  there  were  to  be 
seen  at  the  Omaha  Exposition  comprehensive  ex- 
hibits of  the  people's  products;  the  possibilities, 
habits,  customs  and  industries  of  the  new  American 
dependencies.  There  were  located  here  in  the  Mid- 
way Plaisance,  villages  of  Cubans,  Porto  Ricans, 
Hawaiians  and  Filipinos,  assembled  in  their  native 
habitations,  and  portraying  the  routine  of  domestic, 
social,  industrial  and  commercial  life  in  their  far- 


THE    OMAHA    EXPOSITION.  225 

away  homes.  Such  an  enterprise  which  was  nat- 
ural in  scope  and  magnitude,  was  of  intense  patri- 
otic interest  to  all  students  of  national  affairs  and 
governmental  politics.  Although  visiting  the  ex- 
position during  its  expiring  days,  after  the  frost  had 
touched  and  withered  some  of  its  beautiful  floral 
decorations  in  the  grounds,  there  was  yet  remain- 
ing enough  to  tell  us  that  the  grounds  had  been  dis- 
tinctly tropical,  that  throughout  more  than  200 
acres  enclosed  by  the  exposition  fences,  there  were 
thousands  of  luxurious  palms,  giant  cacti,  rare 
tropical  flowers,  and  other  treasures  of  the  warmer 
and  more  fecund  climes. 

The  entrance  fee  was  the  same  as  at  the  World's 
Fair.  The  building  nearest  the  entrance  and  nat- 
urally the  first  visited,  was  the  Government  Build- 
ing. This  building  contained  a  splendid  exhibit. 
Here  were  to  be  seen  the  entire  contents  of  the  fa- 
mous Libby  Prison  War  Museum,  composed  of  the 
relics  of  the  wars  of  this  nation,  and  of  great  his- 
toric importance  and  value.  In  one  part  of  the 
building  was  displayed  an  immense  collection  of  the 
relics  and  trophies  of  the  late  war  with  Spain;  the 
campaign  in  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico.  There  were 
from  the  Philippine  Islands  four  car-loads  of  cu- 
rious and  interesting  exhibits,  relics  of  Dewey's 
famous  victory,  trophies  of  the  war  in  and  about 
Manila,  and  interesting  objects  collected  from  va- 
15 


226  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

rious  parts  of  the  island.  In  addition  to  all  this, 
there  were  regular  government  exhibits  of  life-sav- 
ing apparatus,  and  the  like.  Of  the  many  things 
that  attracted  our  interest,  time  and  space  will  per- 
mit us  to  mention  only  a  few.  One  of  these  was  a 
United  States  flag  made  of  red,  white  and  blue  paper 
roses,  by  the  young  ladies  of  Richmond,  Virginia, 
in  1803.  Another  was  the  oldest  cannon  in  Ameri- 
ca, one  of  the  largest  and  most  celebrated  in  the 
Confederate  navy.  This  gun  was  in  service  on 
board  the  warship  "  Palmetto  Tree  "  and  upon  the 
evacuation  of  Charleston  it  was  thrown  overboard, 
rather  than  let  it  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Federal 
forces.  It  had  remained  at  the  bottom  of  the 
Charleston  harbor  from  1865  to  1891. 

Strolling  about  the  Government  Building,  we 
were  attracted  by  a  crowd  standing  about  a  frame. 
Curious  to  know  what  the  object  of  attraction  was, 
we  became  one  of  the  gathering.  Although  time 
was  valuable,  we  waited  to  get  at  closer  range,  and 
did  not  regret  waiting.  The  object  of  interest 
proved  to  be  a  poem  written  in  1862  by  H.  Booze, 
late  sergeant  of  Company  E,  44th  Indiana  Volun- 
teer Infantry.  It  was  entitled  "  Old  Libby,"  and 
was  the  experience  of  the  writer,  who  related  in 
verse  his  horrible  suffering  in  that  famous  prison. 
The  familiar  word  "  Annapolis  "  caught  our  eye  in 
the  last  stanza,  which  we  give  verbatim : 


THE    OMAHA    EXPOSITION.  227 

"We  soon  reached  the  harbor  at  old  Annapolis  town, 
On  the  shores  of  our  own  Maryland, 
Where  they  gave  us  new  clothes,  and  more  victuals,  all 

free, 
And  a  home  near  their  city  so  grand, 

The  change  from  vile  prison  to  Liberty's  home, 
Was  so  sudden,  so  joyous  and  great, 
That  hell  turned  to  heaven,  could  only  compare 
With  the  joys  of  our  blissful  estate." 

Here  was  one  poor  fellow,  at  least,  who  thought 
Annapolis  "  so  grand,"  and  we  congratulated  our- 
selves we  hailed  from  the  same  town.  Who  would 
have  ever  imagined  one  would  see  anything  from 
Annapolis,  or  about  it  in  the  Omaha  Exposition! 
The  world  is  not  so  large  after  all.  In  Denver  we 
saw  a  pencil-sketch  of  an  Anne  Arundel  county 
home,  the  residence  of  Col.  Boyle,  and  here  we  see 
reference  to  the  good  treatment  received  by  a  sol- 
dier in  those  "  times  that  tried  men's  souls,"  while 
at  Annapolis,  "  on  the  shores  of  our  own  Mary- 
land." 

There  were  pictures  of  scenes  in  Andersonville 
Prison,  Camp  Sumter,  Georgia,  in  1864,  and  il- 
lustrations of  how  the  famous  tunnel  was  dug.  We 
saw  the  chisel  that  did  the  work,  and  a  chain  ten 
and  a  half  feet  long  whittled  from  one  block  of 
wood  by  an  ex-prisoner  of  war.  A  gruesome  relic 
was  the  photograph  of  John  W.  January,  of  the 
1 4th  Volunteer  Cavalry,  who,  owing  to  bad  treat- 
ment while  a  prisoner  at  Andersonville  and  Flor- 


228  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

ence,  was  reduced  to  a  famished  condition.  The 
bones  of  his  feet  decayed,  and  he  himself  cut  them 
both  off.  He  weighed  only  48  pounds  when  ex- 
changed. This  man  is  to-day  alive  and  well.  He 
is  in  business  in  Chicago,  and  wears  artificial  feet. 
One  often  hears  the  extravagant  remark,  "  I  would 
not  do  such  and  such  a  thing  to  save  my  life."  This 
man  dared  to  cut  off  his  own  feet  to  save  his  life. 

Among  other  interesting  exhibits  in  this  build- 
ing was  a  printing-press,  upon  which  Owen  Love- 
joy  and  his  brother  printed  their  anti-slavery  paper 
at  Alton,  Illinois,  in  1837.  A  m°b  destroyed  the 
office,  killed  Mr.  Lovejoy,  and  threw  his  printing- 
press  into  the  Missouri  river.  Another  exhibit 
that  attracted  a  great  deal  of  attention  was  an  old- 
fashioned  marble-top  table,  beside  which  Gen. 
Grant  and  Gen.  Lee  sat  during  their  interview  at 
Mr.  McLean's  house  at  Appomattox  Court  House, 
Virginia,  April  gth,  1865,  and  upon  which  the  terms 
of  Lee's  surrender  were  written,  bringing  to  a  close 
the  greatest  civil  war  known  to  history. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  interesting  modern  ex- 
hibits in  the  Government  Building  was  Gathmann's 
modern  aerial  torpedo,  18  feet  long.  This  weapon 
is  capable  of  destroying  any  battleship  in  existence. 
No  fortification  of  the  present  day  can  withstand 
one  hour's  bombardment,  as  its  destructive  power, 
accuracy,  aim  and  range  are  wonderful.  This  in- 


THE    OMAHA    EXPOSITION.  22Q 

vention  will  bring  forth  a  revolution  in  warfare. 
It  destroys  an  ironclad  as  quickly  as  a  vessel  of 
commerce.  Congress  has  appropriated  money  to 
build  cannon  for  firing  this  torpedo.  There  are 
over  100,000  objects  of  historic  interest  comprised 
in  America's  War  Museum  in  the  Government 
Building,  from  which  a  vast  amount  of  instruction 
was  to  be  acquired. 

Leaving  the  Government  Building,  one  next 
finds  his  way  to  the  Agricultural  Building  near  by. 
Here,  a  week  could  be  profitably  spent  viewing  and 
studying  the  cereals  and  all  farm-products  of  these 
wealthy  western  States,  of  which  only  twenty  years 
ago  little  or  nothing  was  known;  particularly  is  this 
true  of  Nebraska.  Twenty  years  ago,  nothing  was 
known  of  Nebraska's  soil  and  climate,  and  every 
act  of  the  new  settler  in  crop-growing  was  an  ex- 
periment. Twenty  years  ago,  when  this  country 
was  being  settled,  Chicago  had  400,000  people. 
To-day,  it  has  over  2,000,000.  Omaha  had  20,000. 
To-day,  it  has  165,000.  Minneapolis  had  23,000. 
To-day,  it  has  over  200,000.  There  are  only  single 
instances  out  of  hundreds  of  similar  growths.  It  is 
the  West — Nebraska  and  Kansas — which  supplies 
these  and  a  hundred  other  large  cities  with  beef, 
pork,  flour,  butter,  eggs,  chickens  and  fruit. 
Twenty  years  ago,  the  East  supplied  all  the  fine 
grades  of  butter  and  cheese.  It  was  supposed  the 


230  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

West  never  would  be  able  to  produce  choice  but- 
ter and  cheese.  To-day,  the  Dakotas,  Nebraska 
and  Kansas  rank  among  the  first,  and  lead  the  east- 
ern States  in  quality  and  flavor.  The  development 
of  the  dairy-industry  is  astonishing.  The  average 
Nebraska  creamery  can  ship  butter  to  New  York 
or  Boston  at  a  cost  of  less  than  three-fourths  of  a 
cent  a  pound  above  the  price  paid  by  New  York 
and  Vermont  dairymen.  That  condition,  together 
with  a  cheap  feed,  gives  it  a  complete  monopoly  of 
the  dairy-industry  as  of  beef  and  pork.  Twenty 
years  ago,  it  was  believed  that  trees  or  fruit  would 
never  grow  here.  To-day,  there  are  many  thrifty 
orchards  in  bearing  condition  as  far  west  as  the 
Colorado  line.  Twenty  years  ago,  alfalfa  was  un- 
known. To-day,  after  learning  all  the  peculiarities 
of  this  wonderful  plant,  the  farmers  of  western  Ne- 
braska find  themselves  able,  by  its  use,  to  raise 
hogs  and  fit  them  for  the  market  at  a  cost  of  less 
than  one  cent  a  pound. 

Twenty  years  ago,  the  farmers  of  Nebraska  were 
obliged  to  ship  all  their  cattle  and  hogs  to  Chicago. 
To-day,  the  second  and  third  largest  stock-yards 
and  packing  centres  in  the  world  are  Kansas  City 
and  Omaha,  making  the  very  best  of  markets  with- 
in a  few  hours'  ride  of  the  farmer's  door. 

Twenty  years  ago,  this  section  had  practically  no 
home-market.  To-day,  there  are  in  Colorado, 


THE    OMAHA    EXPOSITION.  23! 

Iowa,  Nebraska  and  Kansas,  manufacturing  indus- 
tries that  employ  over  150,000  hands,  whose  an- 
nual earnings  aggregate  $74,235,565.  Twenty 
years  ago,  this  was  a  new  country  with  old  and  un- 
profitable methods  and  ideas.  To-day,  it  is  an 
older  country  with  new  and  profitable  methods  and 
ideas. 

So  much  for  Nebraska  and  the  strides  it  has 
made  in  a  single  decade.  The  first  exhibit  that  at- 
tracted our  attention  was  that  of  Dawson  county, 
this  State.  Dawson  county,  only  fifteen  years  ago, 
contained  nothing  but  buffaloes  and  Indians;  to-day 
it  has  29,000  acres  under  irrigation.  The  farmer 
pays  a  perpetual  water-right  of  50  cents  an  acre  for 
irrigation.  In  1898,  Dawson  county  produced 
150,000  bushels  of  wheat,  200,000  bushels  of  corn, 
950,000  bushels  of  oats,  600,000  bushels  of  barley, 
400,000  bushels  of  rye  and  25,000  acres  of  alfalfa. 
The  exhibit  of  this  county  was  very  artistic. 
Among  the  handsome  decorations  was  a  face,  en- 
tirely of  cereals,  and  made  of  hog  millet,  silks  of 
corn,  milomace  and  other  grain. 

Polk  county,  Iowa,  had  a  handsome  display, 
in  which  was  a  large  American  Eagle  and  a 
handsome  United  States  flag,  made  entirely  of 
corn,  the  work  of  a  young  man  of  skill  and  inge- 
nuity. The  "  Burlington  Route "  exhibit  was 
unique.  Here  was  a  table  spread  for  Thanksgiving 


232  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

dinner,  on  which  were  the  products  of  the  State. 
The  cloth  was  made  of  plaited  corn-husks,  of  a 
creamy  sheen,  with  red  border.  The  father,  moth- 
er, two  sons  and  a  daughter  were  seated  about  the 
table.  Their  faces  were  of  putty,  their  hair  of  corn- 
silk,  their  teeth  of  grains  of  corn  and  their  clothing 
of  corn-husks  and  corn-silk.  No  two  were  dress- 
ed alike,  and  their  appearance  was  as  neat  and  ar- 
tistic as  it  was  novel.  Above  their  heads  was 
"  Happiness,"  and  on  a  card  suspended  from  the 
table  was :  "  Mother,  ain't  you  glad  you  came  to 
Nebraska?" 

This  is  the  question  the  husband  asks  the  wife  at 
each  Thanksgiving  dinner,  for  these  figures  of  this 
family-group  surrounding  this  well-filled  table  rep- 
resent people  living  in  Nebraska  along  the  Bur- 
lington Route  to-day,  the  road  that  holds  the 
world's  record  for  "  1,025  miles  in  1,047  minutes." 
The  legend  of  this  family-group  is  as  follows :  In 
1868,  the  son  of  an  Illinois  farmer,  acting  upon  the 
advice  of  Greely,  goes  West  to  grow  up  with  the 
country.  With  a  yoke  of  oxen  and  a  good  prairie- 
schooner,  he  starts  out,  and  after  four  or  five  weeks' 
travel  at  fifteen  miles  a  day,  reaches  the  great 
"American  Desert,"  somewhat  on  the  divide  be- 
tween the  Republican  and  Platte  rivers,  100  to  150 
miles  west  of  the  Missouri  river.  He  finds  an  en- 
tirely undeveloped  country,  but  recognizes  in  its 


THE    OMAHA    EXPOSITION.  233 

magnificent  soil,  salubrious  climate  and  pure  water, 
in  never-failing  supply,  three  all-important  factors 
for  future  prosperity  and  happiness. 

He  applies  to  Uncle  Sam  for  160  acres  of  this 
vast  domain.  Uncle  Sam  gives  it  to  him  with 
pleasure  on  payment  of  a  small  fee.  He  builds 
himself  a  sod-house,  digs  a  well,  and  while  his 
neighbors  (few  and  far  between)  break  up  only  30 
or  40  acres  with  one  yoke  of  oxen,  he  at  once  gets 
to  work  with  two  yokes,  and,  with  a  1 6-inch  break- 
ing plow,  breaks  up  60  acres  the  first  season.  He 
is  not  going  to  spend  half  of  his  valuable  time  cook- 
ing and  washing  dishes,  so  he  gets  himself  an  in- 
dustrious little  wife  to  attend  to  these  things.  These 
two  young  people  of  industry  and  good  sense,  live 
30  years  together,  raising  three  children — two  sons 
and  one  daughter — healthy  and  intelligent  natives 
of  the  "  Tree-Planters'  State."  To-day,  the  farmer 
is  53  years  old,  has  a  good  house,  barn,  windmill 
and  tank,  a  fine  lawn,  plenty  of  shade-trees,  thor- 
oughbred Herefords  and  fine  horses. 

His  children  are  well  educated,  and  his  fine  farm 
of  800  acres  is  well  stocked.  He  is  one  of  the 
wealthiest  farmers  in  Nebraska,  and  to  this  end  evi- 
dently followed  the  Biblical  injunction,  one  of  the 
mottoes  on  the  Agricultural  Building:  "Honour 
the  Lord  with  thy  substance,  and  the  first  fruits  of 
thine  increase,  so  shall  thy  barns  be  filled  with 
plenty,  and  thy  presses  burst  out  with  new  wine." 


234  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

Linn  county,  Kansas,  also  had  a  fine  exhibit. 
Here  was  a  church  made  entirely  of  wild  grass,  and 
here  was  Kansas  pop-corn  n  feet  from  the  roots, 
15  feet  in  all.  Here,  we  also  saw  a  huge  heart 
made  of  corn,  and  what  more  appropriate  emblem 
could  there  be,  for  is  not  corn  the  life-blood  of  our 
nation?  "  Bleeding  Kansas  "  was  indeed  well  rep- 
resented in  these  exhibits. 

The  handsomest  exhibit  in  the  Agricultural 
Building  was  that  of  Douglas  county,  which  won 
the  first  prize.  This  exhibit  was  a  marvel  of  art. 
In  Douglas  county,  "  corn  is  on  top/'  and  to  em- 
phasize this,  a  huge  top  was  made  entirely  of  corn. 
In  this  county,  there  are  217,074  acres  of  land,  of 
which  74,000  acres  are  in  corn.  Eighty-five  per 
cent  of  the  seed  of  the  whole  United  States  is  grown 
in  this  county.  In  this  exhibit  we  saw  the  Douglas 
county  court-house  made  entirely  of  seed — lettuce, 
onion  and  tobacco  seed.  It  was  indeed  a  marvel 
of  art.  There  were  ears  of  corn  in  this  exhibit  14 
inches  long,  not  one  ear,  but  dozens  and  dozens  of 
this  length,  with  the  corn  in  most  perfect  rows,  not 
one  grain  "  out  of  line "  with  its  fellows.  There 
was  also  a  new  species  of  beet,  the  mangel-wurzel 
variety,  on  which  cattle  are  fed.  Douglas  county, 
Nebraska,  has  27  distinct  varieties  of  pop-corn. 
We  saw  an  ear  of  corn  that  weighed  2  pounds  and 
i  ounce.  The  columns  supporting  this  exhibit 


THE    OMAHA    EXPOSITION.  235 

were  all  made  of  the  agricultural  products  of  the 
county. 

There  was  a  watermelon  here  that  weighed  86 
pounds,  a  squash  weighing  157  pounds,  and  corn 
so  high  that  it  would  take  a  man  on  a  step-ladder 
to  husk  it.  There  were  radishes  12  inches  long, 
and  watermelons  grown  in  winter,  as  well  as 
those  grown  in  summer,  and  fruits  of  all  sorts 
and  varieties.  Indeed,  it  is  a  question  what 
Douglas  county,  Nebraska,  does  not  produce.  A 
great  attraction  of  this  exhibit  was  the  battleship 
"  Maine,"  made  of  corn,  on  the  deck  of  which  a 
good  view  of  the  booth  could  be  had. 

Lancaster  county,  in  which  Lincoln,  the  State's 
capital,  is  situated,  had  a  fine  display.  In  this 
county,  the  general  agricultural  experimental  sta- 
tion is  located.  Lincoln  has  the  only  sugar-beet 
school  in  America.  Here,  the  farmer's  boy,  during 
the  winter  months,  may  be  taught  scientific  farm- 
ing, dairying,  and  given  lessons  on  the  good  and 
bad  qualities  of  stock  and  poultry.  These  are  ob- 
ject-lessons; the  animals  are  brought  before  the 
class  and  the  lessons  taught  in  this  manner.  If 
there  is  any  school  in  the  East  or  South  where  farm- 
ers' boys  are  instructed,  during  the  winter  months 
of  idleness  on  the  farm,  in  scientific  farming,  and 
the  like,  we  shall  be  glad  to  be  informed  of  the  fact, 
for  to  our  knowledge  the  idea  is  exclusively  west- 
ern. 


236  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

From  one  of  these  farmer-boys'  schools,  we  saw 
a  beet  which  had  been  analyzed  and  the  analysis  of 
which  showed  eighteen  and  two-tenths  per  cent 
sugar.  The  clay  of  this  county  does  not  change 
color  after  bricks  are  made  and  burned.  Agricul- 
tural implements  were  also  displayed  in  this  build- 
ing, many  of  them  of  modern  invention  and  im- 
provement. Among  these  was  a  corn-planter  of 
recent  invention,  that  will  plant  20  acres  of  corn  a 
day. 

The  Manufactures  and  Liberal  Arts  Building  was 
filled  with  a  bewildering  display.  Here,  machin- 
ery was  in  operation.  One  could  see  silk-weaving 
from  the  beginning  of  the  raw  silk  to  the  cloth;  the 
manufacture  of  hats,  from  the  raw  material  to  the 
finished  article,  in  short,  a  hundred  different  ar- 
ticles of  commerce  were  being  made  here  at  the 
same  time  and  under  the  same  roof.  In  the  Elec- 
trical Building  was  to  be  seen  all  the  latest  and 
most  interesting  electrical  apparatus  and  appli- 
ances; dynamos,  telephone  exchanges,  exhibitions 
of  lighting,  heating  and  cooking.  In  brief,  scores 
of  interesting  and  curious  things,  such  as  can  only 
be  found  in  a  display  of  this  kind,  and  which  must 
be  seen  to  be  appreciated. 

The  colonial  exhibit  consisted  of  many  interest- 
ing articles  of  commerce,  industry  and  manufac- 
ture from  foreign  possessions;  implements  of  agri- 


THE    OMAHA    EXPOSITION.  237 

culture,  vehicles,  plants,  ornaments,  products  and 
fruits,  and  many  interesting  things  from  Cuba,  Por- 
to Rico  and  the  far-off  Philippines.  The  Art  Mu- 
seum at  the  Exposition  contained  over  a  thousand 
of  the  rarest  works  of  brush  and  pencil  from  the 
collection  of  connoisseurs  of  wealthier  cities.  Here 
were  costly  bric-a-brac,  elegant  statuary,  display  of 
ceramics,  all  arranged  amid  the  most  artistic  fur- 
nishings and  brilliant  coloring.  Some  one  has  said, 
an  exhibition  may  largely  be  judged  from  its  art 
exhibit,  that  this  is  the  key-note  by  which  an  idea 
may  be  formed  of  the  magnitude  and  importance 
of  the  entire  exhibition.  If  this  be  true,  Omaha's 
Greater  America  Exposition  was  indeed  a  success. 
The  walls  of  the  Fine  Arts  building  were  covered 
with  magnificent  collections  of  paintings  repre- 
senting every  school  of  art,  ancient  and  modern, 
and  divided  into  sections  of  oil,  water-color,  pastel 
and  pen-and-ink  sketches.  One  of  the  noted  col- 
lections was  the  Elegantarium  Collection  of  an- 
tique art  gathered  from  the  old  French  Creole  fam- 
ilies of  the  South. 

The  Chicago  Record's  collection  of  200  sketches 
of  the  war  scenes  in  Cuba,  Porto  Rico  and  the 
Philippines,  and  the  collection  of  Indian  pictures 
loaned  by  Mr.  Ernesti,  of  Denver,  are  deserving  of 
special  mention.  To  Col.  John  R.  Key,  art  di- 
rector, much  credit  is  due  for  the  magnificent  col- 


238  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

lection  and  its  pleasing  arrangement.  Col.  Key  is 
a  Marylander,  a  cousin  to  Francis  Scott  Key,  of 
"Star  Spangled  Banner"  fame,  and  has  a  number  of 
relatives  residing  in  Annapolis.  He  is  an  affable 
and  genial  gentleman,  much  traveled  and  highly 
cultured,  and  an  artist  of  merit.  Several  of  his 
paintings  were  on  exhibition  here.  Among  these 
were  paintings  of  the  World's  Fair;  one  being  the 
"  Court  of  Honor/'  a  handsome  painting  full  of 
light  and  color.  Col.  Key  does  not  consider  that 
the  art  exhibit  has  been  a  success,  financially.  Of 
the  many  pictures  in  the  art  exhibit  that  struck  our 
fancy  we  shall  only  mention  two,  "  The  Trackless 
Ocean  "  and  "  Be  Mine."  "  The  Trackless  Ocean  " 
is  a  magnificent  painting  by  Warren  Shepherd.  It 
took  the  gold  medal  at  the  art  exhibition  in  Den- 
ver in  1884.  In  this  painting,  nothing  is  visible 
but  the  trackless  waste  of  waters  and  the  heavens. 
The  moonlight  glistens  with  startling  effect  upon 
the  waves,  and  light  and  shade  are  harmoniously 
blended.  The  coloring  of  the  blue-green  ocean  is 
true  to  nature.  The  picture  has  been  much  ad- 
mired. 

"  Be  Mine  "  appeals  to  one  at  sight.  This  paint- 
ing represents  two  bootblacks  on  either  side  of  a 
dog  with  an  intelligent  face.  Each  boy  is  using  all 
of  his  persuasive  power  on  the  dog  to  induce  him 
to  become  his  own  particular  property.  The  art 


THE    OMAHA    EXPOSITION.  239 

exhibition  must  be  exceptionally  fine,  since  a 
gentleman  from  Berlin,  much  traveled,  said  there 
was  the  greatest  number  of  art  gems  here  that  he 
had  seen  in  any  collection. 

In  the  liberal  arts  exhibit  were  two  vases  val- 
ued at  $5,000  each.  They  represent  "  Liberty " 
and  "  Progress,"  and  have  been  previously  exhib- 
ited at  Vienna,  Paris,  London,  Berlin,  Chicago  and 
New  York.  One  vase  represents  the  taking  of  the 
Bastile  in  1789,  the  other,  "Progress,"  represents 
from  the  discovery  of  America  by  Columbus,  to 
Lincoln's  emancipation  proclamation. 

The  Hawaiian  School  exhibits  were  particularly 
interesting.  The  Pohukaiwa  School  at  Honolulu, 
Hawaiian  Islands,  had  specimens  in  drawing, 
patching,  composition  and  solutions  in  arithmetic 
worthy  of  any  of  our  schools  in  these  parts. 

The  Horticultural  Building  was  a  gem.  At  night 
the  approach  was  through  a  fairy-like  lawn  where, 
hidden  among  the  shrubbery,  were  hundreds  of 
multi-colored  incandescent  lights. 

Entertainments  were  daily  features  at  the  exposi- 
tion. There  were,  during  our  visit,  exhibitions  of 
high  diving  by  the  world's  champion  divers,  who 
leaped  from  an  elevation  of  60  feet  to  the  lagoon 
beneath.  The  "  Olympia,"  with  "  Admiral  Dewey  " 
aboard,  crossed  the  lagoon  amid  the  explosion  of 
numerous  sub-marine  mines.  There  was  a  "  burial 


24O  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

at  sea,"  when  Madame  Johnson,  tied  hand  and  foot, 
was  sewn  in  a  sack,  weighted  and  cast  into  the  lake, 
and  cutting  herself  loose,  emerged  after  remaining 
beneath  the  water  two  minutes  and  a  quarter. 

There  was  a  sham  battle  of  Indians,  and  a  band 
concert  at  night,  in  the  concert  hall,  by  a  Cincin- 
nati orchestra  of  47  pieces.  The  grounds  by  day 
were  as  beautiful  as  a  poet's  dream,  but  by  night 
they  were  a  dream  of  loveliness.  Their  electric 
effulgence  obscured  the  splendor  of  the  heavens. 
The  moon  paled,  the  stars  waned  before  the  flash 
and  gleam  of  over  45,000  electric  lights,  which 
flashed  and  gleamed  in  symmetrical  lines  of  daz- 
zling light  along  the  outlines  of  the  buildings  and 
the  majestic  columns  of  the  colonnade.  This 
splendid  illumination  was  one  of  the  crowning  feat- 
ures of  the  exposition. 

The  display  was  most  effectively  arranged.  The 
exposition  which  had  been  seen  by  day  was  grand 
and  beautiful,  but  when  night  spread  its  sable 
wings,  a  fairy  scene  sprang  into  existence — each 
outline  defined,  each  tower  and  minaret  clearly  cut 
and  brilliant  with  myriads  of  electric  lights 
flashing  like  stars  of  ever-changing,  shimmer- 
ing brilliancy.  The  illumination  of  the  Court 
of  Honor  is  beyond  description.  Lights  flashed 
from  cornice  and  arch,  from  balustrade  to  lofty 
spire,  from  pillared  colonnade  to  gilded  dome,  rear- 


THE   OMAHA    EXPOSITION.  24! 

ed  aloft  on  the  Government  Building.  The  elec- 
tric fountain,  at  the  western  end  of  the  lagoon,  was 
a  veritable  rainbow  of  changing  lights;  now,  clear- 
est white  like  showers  of  diamonds,  now,  shell  rose 
to  softest  green,  and  then,  from  sprays  and  showers 
of  crimson  to  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow  mingled, 
shifting,  changing,  a  dream  of  fleeting  beauty. 

Around  the  Court  of  Honor,  gardens  of  tropical 
plants  bloomed  by  day,  and  blossomed  in  yet  more 
brilliant  hues  by  night.  Three  thousand  lights 
clustered  and  colored  to  represent  full-blown  flow- 
ers, lighted  the  foliage,  and  gave  the  effect  of  fairy 
gardens.  Concealed  lights  threw  into  bold  relief 
each  group  of  statuary  upon  the  buildings.  The 
effect  was  marvelous.  Those  who  are  qualified  to 
judge,  pronounce  the  electrical  illumination  at 
the  Omaha  Exposition  to  have  been  the  most  mag- 
nificent ever  arranged — far  surpassing  the  brilliant 
illumination  at  the  World's  Fair.  There,  a  great 
many  more  lights  were  used,  but  they  were  more 
scattered;  here,  the  grouping  and  designs  followed 
out,  contributed  largely  to  the  beauty  of  the  scene. 
The  Greater  America  Exposition  was  a  credit  to 
Omaha,  and  the  State  of  Nebraska,  and  indeed,  to 
the  whole  United  States. 

It  has  passed  into  history,  reflecting  the  stirring 
events  of  America  during  the  closing  two 
years  of  the  nineteenth  century.  It  will,  probably, 
16 


242  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

not  only  be  the  last  great  educational  enterprise  of 
the  century,  but  the  most  unique.  It  had  a  theme 
and  a  purpose  distinctly  its  own.  It  was  a  worthy 
enterprise  of  a  worthy  town.  The  Chicago  Wreck- 
ing Company  purchased  the  buildings  for  $50,000. 
The  Omaha  Exposition  was  built  and  conducted 
without  asking  a  dollar  of  contribution  from  na- 
tional, State,  county  or  city  treasuries,  but  it  en- 
joyed the  voluntary  support  and  aid  of  the  heads 
of  the  departments  of  the  national  government  in 
the  acquisition  of  war  exhibits  and  those  from  the 
insular  dependencies.  The  Omaha  Exposition  is 
a  thing  of  the  past,  its  countless  beauties  have  dis- 
solved forever,  and  there  is  something  pathetic  in 
the  fact  that  the  last  great  educational  and  amuse- 
ment enterprise  of  the  century  has  passed  into  his- 
tory. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


INCIDENTS  ON  THE  CHICAGO  AND   NORTH- 
WESTERN  RAILROAD RIDING 

IN  A  MAIL-CAR. 

Leaving  Omaha  for  Chicago  over  the  Chicago 
and  North-Western  Railroad  on  the  homeward 
trip,  to  one  who  has  been  at  all  observant,  the  scen- 
ery along  the  road  has  grown  familiar,  and  special 
points  of  interest  are  again  looked  out  for.  Among 
these  is  Kate  Shelly's  old  home,  and  the  new  one 
too,  the  gift  of  the  Chicago  News. 

Both  houses  stand  side  by  side,  and  on  the  morn- 
ing of  our  return  trip,  Kate  and  her  mother  were 
on  the  veranda,  waving  to  the  train  as  it  spun  past 
their  home.  The  reader  will  recall  the  brief  men- 
tion made  in  a  previous  chapter  of  Kate  Shelly's 
bridge.  Kate  is  a  plain,  everyday,  ordinary  woman, 
now  34  years  old,  of  little  education  but  a  great 
deal  of  pluck  and  heroism,  and  who  lives  in  Iowa, 
along  the  Chicago  and  North- Western  Railroad 
between  Boone's  and  Ames,  in  that  state. 

Some  years  ago,  she  swam  the  Des  Moines  river 


244  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

at  night,  and  signaled  an  approaching  passenger- 
train  about  to  cross  a  bridge  which  had  become 
weakened  by  the  heavy  rains,  and  which  had  given 
way  under  a  freight-train.  She  thus  saved  many 
lives.  For  this  heroic  act  the  Chicago  and  North- 
Western  Railroad  gave  her  $5,000  and  an  annual 
pass  over  their  road,  also  a  gold  medal  with  their 
stamp  studded  with  diamonds. 

The  Chicago  and  North- Western  is  the  only  road 
that  has  a  double  track  from  Council  Bluffs  to  Chi- 
cago. The  new  road-bed  is  not  quite  finished,  and 
when  completed  will  be  one  of  the  finest  roads  in 
the  West.  Passing  along  the  road,  one  has  a  good 
view  of  the  Indian  Reservation  in  Iowa.  In  early 
summer,  on  the  outbound  trip,  we  saw  these  In- 
dians scattered  about  near  the  railroad;  now  it  has 
grown  colder,  and  they  have  moved  their  camp 
farther  away  upon  the  hills,  into  the  shelter  of  the 
woods.  On  this  occasion,  a  number  of  them  were 
in  their  cemetery,  burying  one  of  their  dead.  They 
wore  their  characteristic  dress,  and  were  wrapped 
with  beautiful  red  and  Roman-striped  blankets. 
The  graves  are  queer  looking  objects,  and  have 
board  coverings.  The  Indians  on  this  reservation 
are  said  to  be  a  bad  set,  and  the  white  man  is  shy 
of  them. 

Farther  on,  the  Chicago  and  North- Western 
tracks  cross  a  handsome  steel  bridge  over  the  Miss- 


IOWA  RIVER,  NEAR  TAMA,  IOWA. 


FROM    OMAHA  TO    CHICAGO.  245 

issippi.  Here,  one  sees  the  two  States,  Iowa  and 
Illinois,  together. 

Several  large  saw-mills  are  located  on  the  Iowa 
side  of  the  river,  and  rafts  of  logs  are  seen  floating 
down  the  great  Mississippi.  The  Mississippi  Val- 
ley Stove  Company  has  a  large  manufactory  on  the 
Illinois  side,  and  does  an  extensive  business.  The 
day's  ride  from  Omaha  to  Chicago  is  long  and  te- 
dious to  one  who  attempts  to  sit  still,  but  to  the 
human  interrogation-point,  which  numbers  the 
writer  among  its  class,  the  fourteen  hours'  ride  can 
be  made  very  pleasant. 

We  visited  the  baggage-car,  and  although  this 
was  one  of  the  "  dull  days,"  the  baggage-master 
told  us  that  in  1 6  years  of  his  experience  in  this  ca- 
pacity on  the  Chicago  and  North- Western  road  he 
had  not  known  a  busier  season  than  the  past  sum- 
mer. He  also  said  that  in  those  16  years  there  had 
not  been  a  single  accident.  Visiting  the  mail-car 
is  a  privilege  accorded  but  a  chosen  few,  and  can 
only  be  obtained  by  special  permission.  To  one 
who  has  never  visited  a  mail-car  or  ridden  in  one, 
the  sight  and  experience  is  a  revelation.  This  car 
is  a  regular  postoffice  on  wheels. 

Here,  the  railway  postal  clerk  and  his  four  as- 
sistants, assort  and  distribute  the  mail  from  pouches 
put  on  at  the  various  stations,  placing  the  mail 
matter  in  pigeon  holes  the  same  as  at  the  post- 


246  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

office.  The  West-bound  mail  is  always  twice  as 
heavy  as  the  East-bound.  The  mail  for  New  Eng- 
land and  New  York  city  is  heavier  than  all  other 
East-bound  mail.  A  great  deal  of  foreign  mail 
passes  through  the  mail-car,  and  much  registered 
matter.  If  one  doubts  to  what  extent  our  business 
houses  do  business  with  foreign  countries,  he  has 
but  to  see  the  letters  a  single  business  house  sends 
to  France,  Austria,  Arabia,  Porto  Rico,  New  South 
Wales  and  other  foreign  countries. 

A  mail-car  usually  handles  15  tons  of  mail  each 
trip.  The  mail-pouches  are  sacks  weighing  from 
200  to  400  pounds  each.  The  mail  is  always  heav- 
ier at  the  first  of  the  week.  The  letter-mail  is  al- 
ways heavier  on  Monday,  probably  because  Sunday 
is  the  popular  letter-writing  day.  The  paper-mail 
is  heavier  at  the  last  of  the  week  because  of  the 
weeklies.  The  railway  postal  clerk  and  his  helpers 
have  no  easy  job.  Recently,  on  a  Chicago  and 
North- Western  mail-train,  three  men  handled  800 
packages  and  33,000  letters  on  one  trip,  working, 
however,  1 5  hours — a  long  day's  work.  Each  man 
is  responsible  for  his  own  work,  and  is  required 
to  leave  the  mail-car  in  perfect  order.  Each  man's 
work  is  labeled  with  name,  day  and  date,  and  all 
errors  are  charged  up  against  him. 

Annapolis  is  a  place  of  no  little  importance,  after 
all.  One  sees  something  about,  or  from  it  or  on 


NEAR  LOVELAND,  IOWA. 


GLEN   ELLYN.  ILLINOIS. 


FROM    OMAHA   TO    CHICAGO.  247 

the  way  to  the  historic  town  by  the  Severn,  every- 
where one  goes,  even  in  a  railway-car;  for  here,  in 
a  railway  postal  car,  we  saw  a  letter  on  its  way  to 
Annapolis  to  a  cadet  at  the  Naval  Academy.  For 
fear  this  one  little  letter  might  be  lonely  on  its  long 
journey  to  the  town  "  Richard  Carvel "  has  again 
made  famous,  we  sent  another  along  with  it  to  bear 
it  company. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

CHICAGO,  SKY-SCRAPERS — THE   CITY   HAS  A    RIVAL — 

RELICS  OF  WITHERED  GLORY — THE  WORLD'S 

FAIR  GROUNDS — THE  NEW 

PUBLIC  LIBRARY. 

So  many  have  been  to  Chicago,  and  have  seen 
its  massive  "  sky-scrapers  "  and  public  buildings, 
that  we  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  it,  but  only 
mention  a  few  facts  that,  perhaps,  everybody 
doesn't  know. 

Chicago  long  since  has  had  many  imitators  of 
these  multi-storied  buildings,  and  although  one  of 
these  is  23  stories  high,  New  York  "  goes  her  three 
better,"  and  has  a  building  of  26  stories.  Chicago 
can  no  longer  include  among  the  things  for  which 
she  is  famous  "the  highest  buildings  in  the 
country." 

Once  in  Chicago,  one  naturally  desires  to  visit 
the  World's  Fair  grounds,  and  recall  the  experience 
of  seven  years  ago.  The  grounds  are  scarcely  rec- 
ognizable, and  save  for  the  reminders  of  its  with- 
ered glory,  it  is  hard  to  believe  that  such  beauties, 
of  a  few  years  ago  which  have  dissolved  into  noth- 


CHICAGO    SKY-SCRAPERS.  249 

ingness,  ever  existed.  The  park,  where  once  these 
magnificent  palaces  of  art  stood,  is  visited  daily  by 
hundreds  of  people,  and  on  Sunday  by  thousands. 

The  lagoon,  or  one  of  them,  still  nestles  on  its 
bosom  the  "  Nina,"  "  Pinta  "  and  "  Santa  Maria  "; 
Columbus'  three  ships  reproduced.  They  have  re- 
cently had  a  dress  of  paint,  and  look  quite  fresh  for 
such  ancient  models  of  navigation  of  the  fifteenth 
century.  Then,  there  is  the  Iowa  State  Building 
standing,  at  least  its  exterior,  for  it  has  been  con- 
verted into  a  resting  place  for  weary  travelers,  and 
seats  are  provided  here. 

The  German  Building  is  intact  along  the  Lake 
shore,  and  is  the  only  one  of  the  foreign  buildings 
remaining  in  the  grounds.  Here,  lunch  is  served, 
and  it  is  a  kind  of  restaurant.  It  is  difficult  some- 
times to  come  down  to  things  of  earth,  and  to  real- 
ize that  in  the  building  where  we  once  saw  the 
Oberamergau  clock  in  operation  and  the  beautiful 
stained-glass  windows,  statuary,  and  the  like,  that 
such  a  mundane  thing  as  appetite  is  catered  to. 

The  Palace  of  Fine  Arts  still  remains,  but  oh,  in 
such  a  dilapidated  condition!  It  is  dark  with 
smoke  and  weather,  all  of  its  entrances  have  gone 
but  one,  its  columns  are  crumbling,  and  its  statuary 
ornamenting  the  exterior  is  a  sorry  sight.  Indeed, 
it  has  not  only  seen  better  days,  but  it  has  seen  its 
best  days.  One  forgets  the  exterior  when  he  en- 


250  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

ters,  and  again  sees  the  relics  of  Columbus,  pictures 
of  all  descriptions,  ethnological  departments  of  all 
countries,  zoological  exhibits  and  many  things  we 
saw  seven  years  ago.  Guards  are  stationed  here 
now,  just  as  they  were  then. 

Many  of  the  large  pieces  of  statuary  the  owners 
did  not  care  to  move,  are  still  in  the  Fine  Arts 
Building,  the  only  one  of  all  the  "  White  City  "  that 
remains  to  tell  of  its  existence  and  recall  this  most 
wonderful,  and  educational  enterprise  of  this  coun- 
try in  honor  of  its  discovery  and  its  discoverer. 
The  Larabede  Monastery,  built  after  the  style  of 
the  one  in  which  Columbus  left  his  little  boy  while 
he  made  his  cruise,  is  still  standing  on  the  Lake 
side.  In  summer  it  is  used  as  a  sanitarium,  and  in- 
valids board  here  to  get  the  Lake  breeze  and  sun- 
shine. 

Chicago's  new  library  is  a  magnificent  granite 
building  which  occupies  a  block.  Its  interior 
decoration  passes  description,  and  some  who  have 
seen  both,  say  it  compares  favorably  with  the  in- 
terior of  parts  of  the  great  Congressional  library  at 
Washington.  The  interior  of  Chicago's  Public  Li- 
brary is  of  white  marble,  spotlessly  clean,  and  one 
marvels  that  it  can  be  kept  so  in  dirty  Chicago.  It 
is  ornamented  with  mosaic  work  in  green  and  pearl 
and  glistens  in  the  sunlight  and  under  the  efful- 
gence of  the  numerous  incandescent  lights,  like 
diamonds  and  precious  stones. 


CHICAGO    SKY-SCRAPERS.  251 

The  effect  is  most  beautiful.  At  the  entrance, 
in  front  of  the  broad  stairway,  are  two  arches  of 
marble,  one  higher  than  the  other.  On  the  outer 
arch  are  names  of  ancient  poets  and  writers  of 
Greece  and  Rome;  among  them  Plato,  Horace,  Vir- 
gil, Homer  and  Livy.  On  the  inner  arch  are  modern 
poets  and  writers — Longfellow,  Whittier,  Byron, 
Irving,  Shakespeare  and  others.  Various  appro- 
priate quotations  adorn  the  niches.  One  of  these 
from  Milton  is :  "A  good  book  is  the  precious 
life-blood  of  a  master  spirit,  embalmed  and  treas- 
ured up  on  purpose  to  a  life  beyond."  One  from 
Bacon  says:  "The  real  use  of  all  knowledge  is 
this,  That  we  should  dedicate  that  reason  which  was 
given  us  by  God,  for  the  use  and  advantage  of 
man." 

Another  from  Isaac  Barrow  says :  "  He  that 
loveth  a  book  will  never  want  a  faithful  friend;  a 
wholesome  counsellor;  a  cheerful  companion;  an 
effectual  comforter,"  and  a  quotation  on  the  walls, 
from  Victor  Hugo,  says :  "  A  library  implies  an 
act  of  faith  which  generations  still  in  darkness  hid, 
sign  in  their  night,  in  witness  of  the  dawn."  In  all 
the  lettering,  the  old-fashioned  way  of  using  the  v 
for  u  is  adopted,  and  which,  until  one  grows  accus- 
tomed to,  makes  it  difficult  to  read  easily.  In  the 
Chicago  Public  Library  there  are  25,000  volumes. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

MILWAUKEE,    THE    CITY    OF    BREWERIES — CHICAGO'S 

SABBATH  BREAKING THE  ZOO BUILDINGS 

MOVED   FROM    PLACE  TO   PLACE. 

A  popular  trip  out  of  Chicago  is  the  two-hours* 
run  on  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  Rail- 
road to  Milwaukee.  The  ride  is  through  a  beau- 
tiful section  of  the  country,  well  built  up,  and  with 
lovely  Lake  Michigan  in  view  nearly  all  the  way, 
the  road  running  parallel  with  the  Lake,  the  deep 
bluish-green  waters  and  choppy  white-caps  of 
which  remind  one  of  the  grand  old  ocean.  The 
towns  en  route  have  Indian  names,  such  as  Wah- 
kegan,  Racine,  Kenosha  and  others  of  like  sound. 

Milwaukee  is  a  city  of  280,000  inhabitants.  It  is 
not  unlike  Baltimore  in  appearance.  Its  City  Hall 
is  an  odd-looking,  brown-stone  building  with  a 
high  tower,  occupying  a  triangular  space  in  the 
centre  of  the  town.  It  reminds  one  of  the  No.  9 
Engine  House  in  Baltimore.  The  Milwaukee  post- 
office  is  a  handsome  granite  building  of  recent  con- 
struction, and  worthy  a  city  of  much  larger  size. 
There  are  numerous  hotels  here  handsome  in  con- 


MILWAUKEE'S  BREWERIES.  253 

struction  and  elegantly  furnished,  the  Pfeister  be- 
ing the  most  "  swell  "  and  expensive.  The  stores 
are  very  fine  and  a  great  deal  of  business  is  done 
here.  Milwaukee  is  quite  a  thrifty  town.  It  is 
largely  a  German  town  which  is  indicated  by  the 
large  number  of  brewers  and  breweries.  Milwau- 
kee is  noted  chiefly  for  its  manufacture  of  beer,  and 
the  large  "Allis"  manufactory  and  steel  and  iron 
works. 

Few  people  know  that  the  site  of  Chicago  was 
bought  from  the  Indians  for  less  than  the  price  of  a 
high-grade  bicycle.  Chicago  is  a  city  of  2,000,000 
inhabitants  and  one  of  the  most  progressive  cities 
in  the  world,  although  one  of  the  most  stupen- 
dously wicked.  The  Chicago  zoological  gardens 
are  said  to  have  no  equal  in  the  country.  Every 
creeping  and  walking  thing  upon  the  earth  is  to 
be  found  here.  It  has  a  larger  and  finer  collec- 
tion of  animals  than  Central  Park,  New  York; 
Fairmount  Park,  Philadelphia,  and  City  Park, 
Denver,  or  any  other  zoo  in  this  country. 

In  Chicago,  some  theatres  are  used  for  church 
service  on  Sunday  morning,  and  for  a  vaudeville 
Sunday  night.  There  is  no  more  regard  for  the 
Sabbath  day  in  Chicago  by  the  masses,  than  in 
the  most  benighted  regions  of  earth,  where  the 
Christian  religion  has  never  penetrated.  It  is  not 
an  uncommon  thing  to  see  people  moving  on  Sun- 


254  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

day  in  Chicago,  and  large  furniture  vans,  loaded 
with  household  furniture,  being  driven  along  the 
streets.  Stores  are  in  full  blast  here  on  Sunday, 
and  one  can  purchase  anything  he  wants  from  a 
shoe-string  to  a  brick-house.  It  is  nothing  to  see 
painters  at  work  painting  buildings  or  decorating 
signs  on  Sunday,  and  we  even  saw  a  gang  of  men 
at  work  macadamizing  a  street  on  the  Sabbath. 
Nobody  seems  to  think  anything  of  it,  and  if  one 
is  inclined  to  remark  that  there  was  such  a  law 
given  to  Moses  on  Mount  Sinai  about  remember- 
ing the  Sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy,  one  is  consid- 
ered a  fossil,  or  a  crank. 

This  is  the  only  city  in  the  world  where  a  build- 
ing was  begun  at  the  top  and  finished  on  the 
ground  floor.  It  is  a  1 7-story  building,  and  it 
happened  in  this  way :  The  contractors  had  erect- 
ed the  iron  and  steel  skeleton  for  the  building,  but 
the  stone  for  the  lower  stories  was  late  in  coming, 
having  been  purchased  from  another  State.  The 
building  under  contract  was  to  be  completed  in  a 
certain  time,  so  the  contractors,  nothing  daunted 
(for  Chicago  people  dare  to  do  anything),  went  to 
work  on  the  upper  stories.  Here,  17  stories  up  in 
the  air,  they  laid  the  masonry,  hung  frame  for  win- 
dows, and  came  down  story  by  story.  When  they 
reached  the  lower  part  of  the  work  on  the  building, 
their  material  for  it  had  arrived.  Even  Chicago- 


CHICAGO'S  BUILDINGS.  255 

ans,  to  whom  nothing  is  novel,  really  gazed  amazed 
at  this  building  begun  at  the  top  and  built  down- 
ward. 

One  of  the  novel  sights  in  Chicago  is  to  see  three 
different  lines  of  transportation,  one  above  the 
other.  This  is  to  be  seen  in  two  different  places  in 
the  city.  The  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul 
Railroad  has  tracks  running  north  and  south 
through  some  of  the  streets.  Just  above  these 
tracks,  the  city's  trolley-cars  run  at  the  bed  of  the 
street,  east  and  west,  and  just  above  the  trolley- 
cars  is  the  Lake  street  elevated — making  three  dif- 
ferent lines  of  transportation,  one  above  the  other. 

Lake  Michigan  is  about  350  miles  long  and  86 
miles  across  from  Chicago.  In  summer,  handsome 
steamers  make  excursions  on  the  Lake  to  various 
points.  On  some  of  these  excursions,  one  is  out  of 
sight  of  land  from  two  to  three  hours. 

Chicago  has  all  sorts  of  weather;  the  most  unex- 
pected happens  here.  On  November  2nd  there 
was  a  snow  storm  in  Chicago;  and  on  November 
1 3th  a  regular  thunder  storm,  characteristic  of 
July  or  August,  prevailed.  3*Dcroft  Library 

Moving  buildings  in  Chicago  is  a  common, 
every-day  occurrence.  Some  time  ago,  a  six-story 
building  was  lifted  from  the  ground  and  two  stories 
put  under  it.  The  reason  for  not  building  on  the 
top  story  was,  the  lower  walls  would  not  have  been 


256  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

strong  enough  to  sustain  the  weight  of  the  extra 
two  stories.  A  big  apartment  building  was  re- 
cently moved  intact  from  I2th  to  I3th  street  to 
make  room  for  the  viaduct.  The  firm  of  Carson, 
Perry  and  Scott  never  suspended  business  a  day 
while  17  stories  were  built  above  their  establish- 
ment. Some  time  since,  a  Chicago  gentleman 
went  to  Europe.  The  house  he  owned  in  Chicago, 
was,  on  his  return,  nowhere  to  be  found.  During 
his  absence,  some  one  had  lifted  his  house  and 
moved  it — to  this  day  he  knows  not  where.  Al- 
though he  employed  the  detective  force  and  the 
police  of  the  city  to  locate  it,  he  has  been  unsuccess- 
ful. Moving  buildings  is  such  a  common  sight  in 
Chicago,  that  no  one  thought  anything  of  it  when 
this  particular  house  was  moved.  It  is  dangerous 
for  one  to  go  abroad  and  leave  his  house  in  Chi- 
cago, unless  it  be  guarded,  as  it  may  walk  off  be- 
fore his  return. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

POLICE,   ALL   FOREIGNERS — FINE   STORES — THE 

ROOKERY    BUILDING — MOVING    DAY — A 

CITY  OF  MAGNIFICENT  DISTANCES. 

Home,  Sweet  Home. 

Although  Chicago  is  a  progressive  city,  it  is  still 
primitive  in  its  "wild  and  woolly"  western  acts 
of  "  hold  up."  During  a  three  weeks'  stay  in  this 
citv  there  has  not  been  a  single  day  in  which  the 
daily  papers  have  failed  to  record  not  one  "  hold 
up,"  but  several;  some  of  them  at  noon-day,  and  in 
prominent  streets. 

This  is  enough  to  give  any  city  a  black  eye,  fig- 
uratively speaking,  but  it  does  not  seem  to  inter- 
fere with  Chicago's  regular  routine,  or  prevent 
people  coming  here.  The  Chicago  police  are  all 
foreigners,  and  the  majority  of  them  are  Swedes. 
If  you  ask  a  Chicago  policeman  a  question,  unless 
you  are  a  linguist  and  familiar  with  all  the  foreign 
tongues,  you  will  not  have  the  faintest  idea  of  his 
answer,  for  it  will  be  anything  but  English.  We 
asked  two  to  direct  us  to  the  Haymarket  statue, 
and  we  are  still  puzzling  our  brain  to  know  what 
17 


258  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

they  said  in  reply,  but  it  sounded  much  like  the 
language  the  Hawaiian  villagers  used  at  the  Oma- 
ha Exposition.  However,  to  us  it  was  Hebrew. 
It  is  said  the  police  force  of  Chicago  are  a  poor  lot, 
and  certainly  from  the  daily  hold-ups  there,  the 
sand-bagging  and  the  little  protection  offered  pe- 
destrians after  dark,  and  sometimes  even  at  noon- 
day, there  is  something  lacking  in  this  branch  of  the 
municipal  government. 

Perhaps  the  statue  at  Haymarket  Square,  the 
scene  of  the  anarchists'  riot  and  murder  of  several 
police  a  few  years  ago,  has  had  some  little  effect  on 
the  element  in  that  locality.  The  statue  is  an  im- 
posing one  of  an  officer  of  the  law,  who,  with  up- 
lifted hand,  says  in  the  inscription  beneath :  "  In 
the  name  of  the  people  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  I 
command  peace/'  Just  where  the  statue  stands, 
the  police  were  murdered  by  anarchists  during  the 
Haymarket  riot. 

Chicago  is  said  to  be  the  only  city  in  the  world 
that  has  a  store  that  for  many  years  has  not  closed 
its  doors,  night  or  day,  for  365  days  in  every  year. 
This  is  a  prominent  cigar  store,  and  has  a  night 
force  as  well  as  a  day  force  of  clerks.  At  night, 
they  sell  cigars  and  tobacco  to  those  returning  from 
the  theatres;  after  this,  to  the  newspaper  force  as 
they  wend  their  way  homeward  in  the  early  morn- 
ing hours;  by  this  time,  workmen  are  on  their  way 


THE   ROOKERY    BUILDING.  259 

to  their  daily  labors  and  stop  in  for  their  tobacco, 
and  so  there  is  no  time  to  close  the  doors  of  this 
popular  cigar  store,  night  or  day. 

The  Rookery  Building  has  a  population  of 
4,000  doing  business  under  one  roof.  Think  of  it ! 
Half  the  population  of  Annapolis  working  daily  in 
one  building. 

Something  new  in  the  way  of  desert  here  is  a  pie 
a  la  mode.  This  is  apple  pie  served  with  ice-cream. 
Try  it!  It  is  delicious.  Another  popular  way  of 
serving  ice-cream  in  the  West  is  in  the  halves  of 
canteloupes.  If  the  canteloupes  are  "  Rocky 
Fords,"  as  those  one  gets  in  Colorado,  the  combi- 
nation is  very  fine,  for  there  are  no  canteloupes 
grown  anywhere  like  the  "  Rocky  Fords." 

Chicago  has  a  regular  moving  day,  or  rather  two 
of  them,  and  these  are  school  holidays.  Evidently 
the  children  are  important  factors  in  the  moving 
scheme.  All  leases  date  from  May  ist  to  May  ist 
of  the  succeeding  year,  and  this  is  "  moving  day." 
No  matter  at  what  time  you  rent  a  house  or  flat  in 
Chicago,  your  claim  to  that  house  expires  with  the 
following  first  day  of  May,  and  must  then  be  re- 
newed if  you  intend  to  remain. 

There  are  no  stores  in  any  city,  not  even  ex- 
cepting New  York,  to  equal  the  immense  estab- 
lishments in  Chicago.  Many  of  them  employ 
thousands  of  clerks  and  occupy  several  acres.  In 


2<5O  WESTERN    WANDERINGS.  « 

one  of  the  stores  here,  one  can  buy  all  the  way  from 
a  box  of  bird-food  to  a  ton  of  coal,  or  from  a  cradle 
to  a  coffin.  In  this  same  store  there  are :  a  notary 
public,  two  telegraph  offices,  and  a  bank.  One  can 
get  married  in  this  store  if  he  so  desires,  as  the 
magistrate  is  always  on  hand.  Every  thing  can 
be  procured  here  but  a  death  certificate. 

No  city  in  the  world  pays  more  attention  to  win- 
dow-decoration than  Chicago.  At  Christmas, 
whole  plays  are  enacted  in  some  of  the  store-win- 
dows. The  larger  stores,  occupying  several  blocks, 
have  daily  displays  of  the  complete  furnishings  of 
every  room  in  a  house,  and  these  window-decora- 
tions are  shown  in  the  most  artistic  fashion. 

Chicago  is  a  city  of  such  magnificent  distances 
that  sometimes  to  call  on  one's  friend  who  lives  on 
the  West  Side  when  one  lives  on  the  North  Side, 
he  has  to  travel  30  miles — farther  than  from  An- 
napolis to  Baltimore,  yet  in  the  same  city.  Some 
of  the  elevated  roads  have  stations  at  the  upper 
floors  to  the  entrance  of  several  popular  stores.  In 
this  way  one  can  take  the  elevated,  do  all  the  shop- 
ping one  wants,  and  not  be  on  the  street  or  from 
under  cover  from  start  to  finish. 

Bootblacks  do  a  thriving  business  in  Chicago,  for 
it  is  one  of  the  dirtiest,  muddiest  cities  on  the  con- 
tinent; and  such  black  mud,  too !  The  Windy  City 
seems  to  have  been  built  on  a  marsh,  and  some  one 


OUR  JOURNEY'S  END.  261 

has  said  that  some  day  it  will  be  wiped  off  the  map, 
either  by  being  swallowed  up  in  the  Lake,  or  sink- 
ing in  its  own  mud-puddle.  To  build  in  Chicago, 
it  is  necessary  to  dig  down  from  8  to  10  feet,  lay 
piles  (as  though  for  a  bridge),  and  literally  anchor 
the  foundation  for  the  building  before  erecting  the 
steel  skeleton  on  which  to  hang  it. 

Chicago  is  indeed  a  wonderful  city,  and  it  would 
be  futile  to  even  attempt  to  describe  it.  We  have, 
therefore,  only  mentioned  a  few  of  its  features 
which,  perhaps,  are  not  generally  known. 

And  now  we  bring  descriptions  of  our  "  Western 
Wanderings  "  to  a  close,  trusting  they  have  been 
of  some  interest,  and  possibly  of  benefit  to  our 
readers,  and  that  they  have  enlightened  our  eastern 
friends  on  subjects  pertaining  to  this  beautiful  west- 
ern country,  through  which  it  has  been  our  good 
fortune  to  travel  during  the  past  four  months. 
When  we  began  the  letters,  from  which  this  volume 
is  compiled,  it  was  not  our  intention  to  inflict  such 
a  number  of  them  on  the  unsuspecting  public. 
Once  having  begun  to  tell  of  the  beauties,  thrift, 
enterprise  and  progress  of  this  new  western  coun- 
try, we  found  it  difficult  to  stop. 

We  are  at  our  journey's  end.  A  24-hours'  ride 
on  the  picturesque  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad 
will  land  us  in  Washington,  and  another  short  run 
will  put  us  in  historic  Annapolis-on-the-Severn,  our 


262  WESTERN    WANDERINGS. 

"  home,  sweet  home."  After  all,  there  is  no  place 
like  home,  and  the  prospect  of  greeting  friends  and 
seeing  the  old  familiar  faces,  brings  with  it  a  pe- 
culiar pleasure. 

We  have  been  traveling  for  many  long  weeks, 
We've  passed  over  mountains,  rivers  and  creeks, 
We've  dwelt  in  the  Rockies,  stood  on  Pike's  Peak  dome 
But  there's  no  place  so  dear  as  our  Home  Sweet  Home. 


I 

; 


